


Dragon of the Shadowed Light

by orphan_account



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: F/M, M/M, especially malik's dark side, everyone is ooc, i'm still actually pretty fond of this one, it was fun, posting for archival purposes, the birthfic of two of my favorite OCs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 12:52:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 45,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15143486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: As if things aren't bad enough with Malik living in Domino, a cousin of his and Yugi's soon shows up in Domino. She's a dragon fanatic, has a dragonfire deck, and enjoys playing pranks. But how does she know Ryou? How can she get along with Seto?||Reposted from fanfiction.net as I clear out old fics from my account there. Originally posted May 25, 2005 and completed November 20, 2005.





	1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

_Hello, my name is Tama. I'm 16 years old and have just moved back to Domino city to stay with one of my cousins. Because I don't know which one I'm staying with, I haven't decided which one to change my last name to: Muto or Ishtar._

_My brother is currently in Egypt, working on some big computer project (he's the one who made me bring me this journal) and my dad is in the States, doing Ra knows what. And so I got sent back here to Domino, after living for about 5 or 6 years in England. ((sigh)) Well, it's bound to be interesting at any rate. I'll be able to see my old friend Tea and well, of course I'll be seeing my cousins. I'm rambling again. My bro says I do that way too much. Well, that's all I'm writing for now._  
_-Tama-_

Tama closes the amethyst journal she was writing in and locks it, before quickly shoving it under her bed mattress. "You better not have been reading what I wrote again, Yume." She growls at the Dragon necklace sitting innocently on her bed. She gets no reply from it which makes her frown. Tama quickly scoops up the necklace and puts it on, the delicate golden chain clinking gently against her silver chocker and other silver necklaces.

Tama has long wavy red hair with blonde streaks running through it and the tips of her hair are black. At the moment she has it pulled up into a high ponytail. Like one of her cousins, her eyes are a bright lilac color. Right now she's wearing a red t-shirt and the pants for Domino High's guys uniforms. Laying on her bed in a rumpled heap is the jacket.

"You're running late, you know." A figure fades in beside her, pointing to the alarm clock on the nightstand.

"The clock's ahead, Yume. I told you that." Tama replies, standing up.

Yume looks very similar to Tama except her hair isn't wavy and instead of blonde streaks and black tips, her streaks are black and the tips are blonde. And her eyes are more of a violet than a lilac color.

Yume looks back at the clock. "No, you're defiantly running late. It says it's 7:55 and you have to be at school by 8:10. It'll take you 15 to 20 minutes just to run there."

Tama pales. "Oh crap!" She springs up from her bed, grabs her jacket and runs out of the room pulling it on.

Yume chuckles and looks down at the laptop sitting on her hikari's desk. "Oh dear, she forgot her computer again." She grins. "Three… two… one…"

At the end of Yume's count down, Tama bursts back into the room, book bag in one hand, toast in her mouth, and her sneakers on correctly. She darts across the room and grabs the laptop with her free hand before racing out of the room. The whole time she's chanting, 'Late, late, late, late…' under her breath.

A few seconds after Tama is out of the room, Yume fades away, disappearing back into the Millennium Dragon.

_Domino High School- 8:15_

Malik Ishtar stares boredly out the third floor window (I have no clue how many floors there are) waiting for something interesting to happen. After the Duelist Kingdom tournament had ended things cooled down a lot which made things boring for the Egyptian boy. And then Ishizu forced him into the 'stupid, horrible, ugly, evil boys school uniform' as he had put it and forced him to go to the 'stupid, horrible, too happy, evil school'. And so, he's looking out the window trying to find at least one interesting thing.

 _'Bird, tree, bird, bird, bird, another bird, car, car, car, twenty-billion cars, Tama, bird- WHOA! Tama?'_  Malik quickly does a double take and looks at the spot where he thought he saw the tri-color haired girl.  _'Guess not. That would have been cool though.'_  He sighs.  _'Where was I? Oh, right. Bird, bird, fence, another bird, car, bug, plane, or is it a bird? Hmm… bug, bird, bug, bug, car, car, truck, motorcycle- oh, that's mine-, bird…'_

A few minutes later, Malik is still off in his own little world when the teacher calls on him. "Ishtar. Ishtar. MR. ISHTAR!"

Malik jumps in his seat and looks around to face the teacher. Several of the other kids in class snicker at the Egyptian boy.  
"Ishtar, what is the answer to problem number 15?" Mrs. Hikage asks.

"Umm…?" Malik looks down at his paper. "It's-" He stops suddenly as the door opens and a confused and tired looking Tama walks in. "Tama!"

Tama jerks her head up and over in Malik's direction, the frown that was on her face automatically changing into a grin. "Yo, Malik! How's my favorite psycho doing?"

Malik gives her a thumbs up. "I'm cool."

"I meant my other favorite psycho." Tama says, false innocently.

Malik resists chuckling. "I'm still fine."

If anyone else finds this conversation really weird, they don't say anything, they just watch as the teacher becomes more and more annoyed. Well, either that or stare in shock at the small tri-color haired girl happily talking to the strange blonde Egyptian.

"Excuse me." Mrs. Hikage snaps. "Just who are you and why are you interrupting my class?"

Tama sheepishly swings one arm behind her head. "Oh, sorry 'bout that. I always get carried away when I'm with my cousin." She smiles. "I'm Tama. At this moment my last name is Muto, but that could possibly change soon." She holds out an already-rumpled paper for the teacher. "Here ya go. The secretary said I have to get all my teachers to sign the schedule. And before you ask, yes I do have permission to wear this uniform."

Disgruntled, the teacher takes the paper, signs it quickly, and directs Tama to one of the only open seats; right behind Ryou. Tama barely glances at the white-haired boy, who blinks his light brown eyes in surprise.

 _'Tama? But, it can't be. She would have said something, given me one of her bright smiles, or at least flashed a peace sign quickly._ ' Ryou thinks sadly.  _'But she looks and almost acts just like the Tama I knew in England. Including not wanting to wear the girls uniform.'_  Ryou almost smiles as he remembers meeting Tama for the first time.

**_FLASHBACK_ **

_A ten-year-old Tama angrily drops her tray of chips and cheese onto the only table with room left. Ryou jumps at the clattering sound and looks up from his book._

_"Umm, is something wrong?" Ryou asks her, as she sits down._

_"Oh no, everything's fine!" Tama replies sarcastically. "The teachers hate me, I'm away from my family and friends, the only thing that resembles food here is the chips and cheese, and- and- OH! I can't even think!" She pulls a blue bandana from her pocket and quickly tied it on her head. Her lilac eyes are cast downward as she speaks again. "I guess what really bugs me is that I have no friends here… I'm so used to goofing off with my friends in Domino that it's absolutely boring here. Listen to me, I sound pathetic."_

_Ryou sets his book aside and looks over at the tri-color haired girl beside him. "I'll be your friend."_

_Tama looks at him with wide eyes. "W-what?"_

_Ryou bows slightly. "I'm Bakura, Ryou."_

_Tama smiles, her eyes lighting up. "I'm Muto, Tamashira. Tama for short." She says, bowing as well._

**_END FLASHBACK_ **

Ryou shakes his head slightly, as if to brush off the memory.  _'It has to be her. But why didn't she even look at me?'_

The rest of the day passes by rather quickly, Tama played no pranks in any of her classes for once although there was a small incident at lunch that involved her, Malik, and some stupid preppy cheerleader that happened to get on their nerves.

Tama had easily made friends with Joey, Tristan, and Duke as well, (she already knew Tea) however she seemed determined to completely ignore Ryou, leaving everyone wondering why. Yugi hadn't been there that day, since he had caught a 24-hour bug.

The end of the day came quickly, and Tama found herself walking with Malik for most of the way home.

"So, where are you staying?" Malik asks.

Tama sighs. "At the moment I'm staying in a small apartment. I've got to ask grandpa if I can stay at his and my other cousins house, unless I can stay with you and Ishizu." She replies.

Malik shakes his head. "I doubt our neighbors could handle it. Ishizu can get pretty mad when I play a joke-too-many. And Marik makes things worse half the time."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about your other half." Tama says, a small smile gracing her face. "He hasn't come up with any outrageous plots to take over the world again, has he?"

"Not lately. And I haven't either; guess you'll have to help us."

Tama laughs. "Ah, but of course." She says, adding more of her British accent into that reply. "'Behind every great man is an even greater woman.'" She recites, purely for the pleasure of annoying her cousin. She laughs again when he does give her an annoyed look.

"So, how's your other half?" Malik asks after a few minutes.

Tama quiets down, but the smile on her face doesn't fade. "She's cool. As annoying as ever, but she's cool."

"That's good to know."

The two walk in silence for a little ways longer before Malik stops. "This is where I turn off. I live down there," He points down a small, gravel road. "at house one twenty-three."

Tama nods. "Okay then. Meet you here tomorrow morning for school?"

"Sounds fine to me." Malik replies. "See ya."

"Bye Malik!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

_Well, I met one of my cousins yesterday at school; it was Malik. I think Yugi may have been sick. You'll never believe who I did see yesterday! Ryou! Ryou Bakura lives here in Domino and never told me! Going on that, he never told me he was moving, and then he never wrote to me or called me! I can tell by his eyes that he recognizes me; those same innocent chocolate brown eyes I've known so well. Only now they're filled with more pain. What happened to him? I remember playing together in Junior High; he was my only friend.  
_  
 _((sigh)) Well, today's school again. Lucky me, I got here on a Wednesday so I only have three days this week. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. ((nods)) Hopefully Yugi, my other cousin, will be at school today. I don't have enough money to stay at the stupid apartment building for one more night. Since I can't stay with Malik, 'cause we'd drive the neighbors even more insane, I've got to talk to Yugi. Well, that's all. I gotta go meet Malik for school before I'm late again._  
-Tama-

Tama sighs and closes the journal, locks it, and shoves it into her book bag. Yume sits close by, meditating on the floor.

"You got up early today." Yume comments. "Going to see someone special?"

Tama raises an eyebrow. "Yume, you were with me all day yesterday just like you always are. The only person I'm meeting up with this morning is Malik, and he's my cousin."

Yume smirks and opens her eyes. "What about Ryou, your Junior High crush?"

Tama blushes madly. "Y-yume! He was not!"

"You should talk to him." Yume says, stretching out on the floor. "After all, he was your best friend. That bond isn't so easily broken, ya know? I know for a fact that you don't hate him, that you're just upset and a little angry."

Tama glares at Yume and pulls on her blue jacket. "I am not." She says crossly, as she picks up her laptop and puts it into a silver carry case. Then she grabs her book bag. "Yume, it's been years since I last saw him. We've both changed."

Yume rolls her eyes. "Tama, it was barely two years ago."

"Feels longer…" Tama grumbles, slipping on her sneakers. She glances at her annoying clock.  _'7:40, time to go.'_  Tama starts to the door. "Yume, we'll talk about this later, I've gotta go meet Malik."

Yume sighs heavily and disappears into the Millennium Dragon. ((We will talk about this now.))

_'Yume, not now. Please.'_  Tama says, walking out of her room, making sure to lock the door.

((Hikari, I don't understand why you won't even listen. It's almost like you're afraid to talk to him. Do you think he won't accept you? Or maybe…)) Yume muses. ((…maybe you're afraid he has changed.))

Tama stops in her tracks. _'Th-that's not it, Yume.'_

((It sounds like I hit home, little hikari.))

_'THAT'S NOT IT!'_

Yume winces from inside her soul room as Tama's voice echoes around her.

Tama begins walking quickly. Tears beginning to form in her eyes. "That's not it, that's not it, that's not it…" She chants over and over again, her fast walking developing into a run.

((Hikari.)) Yume says gently, waiting patiently for Tama to listen. Unfortunately, Yume doesn't have too much patience. ((Tamashira! Stop!))

Tama stops abruptly, a single teardrop falling from her face. "That's not it… it can't be… it can't be…"

Yume appears beside her, worried about her Light. ((Hush, little light. Everything is fine. I'm sorry. Here, you go rest. I'll get you to school.))

Tama nods.  _'But Mal-'_

((Hush, I know where to meet him.)) Yume says, taking over but leaving Tama's features. ((Go rest.))

It takes Yume a short time to get to where Tama and Malik decided to meet up to walk to school. Once there she tells Malik that Tama got upset and that she had to take over. Malik then makes her promise to give Tama back control when they get to school, knowing how much trouble yami's can get into there.

**School- 8:00**

Tea, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Ryou, and Duke are all waiting for Tama to arrive the next morning. Of course, Yugi isn't sure why they are waiting because no one told him.

"Hey, there she is!" Joey yells, pointing down the road. "Hey, Tama!"

Down the road with Malik, Yume raises an eyebrow. "My little light has such interesting friends."

"You don't even know the half of it." Malik grumbles. "We're at school now, better let Tama out."

Yume nods. "Yes, as I promised. Let me wake her up first." ((Tama. Tama, wake up we're at school.))

Inside her soul room, Tama yawns and cracks open one eye. "I don't wanna, Yume. I only got seven hours of sleep last night."

((Don't care, get up.)) Yume says, forcing Tama to take over. She quickly retreats to her own soul room and puts up a barrier so Tama can't force her back out.

Tama stumbles slightly when she's forced out and then yawns. "Darn it… can't even get five minutes worth of sleep."

Malik smirks. "No, you got fifteen." His smirk grows larger. "Hey look, Tama, you have a greeting party!"

Tama blinks and looks up ahead to see the rest of the group. "Oh, wonderful." She looks a little more closely. "Hey, is that Yugi?" She grins as Malik nods and then runs past him to the group to tightly hug Yugi. "YUG!"

Yugi soon turns red partly from embarrassment and partly because Tama is cutting off his air with her tight hug. "Tam', can't breath." He manages to choke out, making Tama immediately release him.

She laughs nervously. "Sorry 'bout that, Yugi. I was just a little excited to see you again is all."

"It's alright, Tama." Yugi replies. "So, when did you get here? And why are you here?"

"Oh, I got here Tuesday evening around 7 o'clock." Tama replies. "And I'm here 'cause dad's off in the states doing Ra knows what again, and bro's off in Egypt working on a new game system. Don't know why he's working on it there, though."

Yugi nods. "Sounds just like them." He almost asks about her mom but then thinks better of it. "That still doesn't explain why you're here."

After taking his time, Malik's now with the rest of the group. Smirking he walks up to Tama and wraps his arms around her shoulders. "She's here," He says, his smirk growing wider as Tama's left eye begins twitching. "Because she wants to be closer to her 'beloved cousin'."

Tama calms herself down (this stops the eye twitching), which is a little easier with Malik and Yugi's comforting presences and with Yume quietly settled down in her soul room. "Who says you're my favorite cousin, Malik? It could be Yug'."

Malik gives her a dark look.

"Joking, joking." Tama says. "Jeez, Mal." She whispers to him, "your suppose to be the Light one."

"We're too evil to be Lights." Malik whispers back.

Tama nods in response. "Yes, Yume and I argue about that all the time."

"What are you two whispering about?" Tea asks suspiciously, easily recalling what happened the day before at lunch after the two finished whispering.

Tama and Malik both jump at the sound of the brunettes voice. "Nothing."

"Guilty conscious?" Tea teases.

"You wish." Tama playfully shoots back.

The first bell rings right after Tama says this, making the group look toward the school.

"C'mon guys, we'd better get inside." Duke says, fixing one of the die on his earrings. "I really don't want to get in trouble for getting in there with less than a minute left again."

Tama raises an eyebrow. "Damn, I figured the teacher was an ass, but I didn't think it'd be that bad. Yesterday I just though Malik did something stupid or played a joke to tick her off."

"The birds were distracting me." Malik grumbles in defense.

Tama giggles.

After the interesting conversation between the two, the group begins making their way to homeroom/first period. On the short trip, Joey, Yugi, Tama, and Malik got into a Duel Monsters discussion while the others merely listened.

"Tama, how is it fair if you use a card or cards that noone else could possibly even get!" Malik exclaims. "And no one else has ever even heard of those three dragons!"

"What three dragons?" Joey asks.

Tama sighs. "I have a dragon/fire-type deck. When I was in Egypt visiting my brother a few years ago, he gave me three incredibly rare dragon cards." As she's talking, Tama reaches into her inside jacket pocket and pulls out her deck. "They were my Dragon of Chaotic Light," She lifts the first card up, revealing a pure white dragon with golden-yellow eyes. "my Dragon of Chaotic Darkness," The next card she lifts up has a pure ebony black dragon with a reddish glow. Its eyes are dark violet. "and last but not least, my Dragon of Chaotic Shadows!" The last dragon is more of a pepper color; an interesting dark gray with black, light gray, and white scales decorating its body. Its eyes are cerulean blue.

"Malik's right, I've never even heard of those cards!" Yugi exclaims. "You'd better be careful around here, Tama. We've had more than one person try to take our rare cards.

"I'd like to see them try." Tama replies, shuffling the three cards back into her deck.

Both Malik and Ryou quietly chuckle at her statement, finding it amusing.

"What are you two laughing at?" Tama asks as they walk into the classroom. "Anyway, what's your guys rarest cards?"

"I've got my Time Wizard, my Red Eyes Black Dragon, and-"

"Red Eyes?" Tama asks. "Awesome… I've only seen that one. Besides the blue eyes that's one of the only dragon cards I've never owned."

"Fanatic." Malik mutters.

"Am not."

"Are so."

"Am not."

"Are so."

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Am not!"

"Are so-!"

RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG!-

Amazingly, before the bell finishes ringing, everyone in the group is in their correct seat.

((Ready to talk to him yet?)) Yume asks out of the blue, startling Tama.

_'Yume, I've told you a hundred bloody times; Do. Not. Do. That.'_  Tama grows to her yami through their mind link.

((How much convincing will it take to get through to you this time?)) Yume asks.

_'What are you talking about, Yume?'_  
  
((Remember the time it took me about a week to convince you to start wearing the gold bands that Malik gave you for your birthday?))

_'Yume, that's completely different. Before I got the Millennium Dragon gold always agitated my skin.'_  
  
Yume snorts. ((Tama, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. It was the gold paint on earrings that agitated your ears. Actual gold does not.))

_'So I was young and stupid, who cares?'_

((Hikari, you were thirteen.))

"-TO! TAMA MUTO!"

Tama jumps at the sight of her red faced teacher right in front of her. Unfortunately, her brain doesn't quite register what's going on until she hears some of the class giggling.

"Hall, now! And that's a detention!" Mrs. Hikage yells.

Tama turns red from embarrassment and makes sure to grab her laptop before leaving.

"Tama, are you-?"

"I'm fine." She coolly replies, effectively cutting Ryou off.

Ryou sighs as she walks out the door.  _'Tama… it's not fine. Why won't you talk to me? You won't even look at me!'_

Malik sighs.  _'I warned her about spacing out while talking to Yume in class.'_

**The Hall**

"Thank you yami-dearest. You just got me kicked out of class." Tama grumbles to herself, sitting down before she opens her laptop and turns it on.

Yume appears standing up next to her Light. "If you weren't so stubborn then it wouldn't have happened."

_'Stubborn? If I weren't so stubborn? What about you, Yume? You are being the stubborn on here.'_  Tama says furiously, opening up a 3D document.

Yume crouches down next to Tama. "My dear demented little hikari," She says, unfazed as Tama's fist goes right through her. "You are the one who won't even talk to the poor boy. You haven't even asked him why he never wrote or called. Shouldn't you at least get his side of the story before you-" Yume freezes in her small rant as a teardrop falls onto the keyboard. "Tama?"

Tama hiccups and shuts off her laptop before closing it. She slowly stands up, her eyes hidden by her bangs. "Shut up, Yume… JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Leaving her laptop on the floor, Tama tugs her dragon necklace and drops it onto the floor before running down the hall.

"Tama…" Yume whispers before disappearing.

A few minutes after this, Mrs. Hikage sends Yugi out to bring Tama back in.

"Tama, you can come back in now." Yugi says after opening the door. He frowns when he gets no answer. "Tama?" He asks, stepping out into the hall. Yugi's foot hits something, making him look down.  _'Well, here's her laptop. But where's Tama?'_  He bends down and picks up the laptop. As he's standing back up a flash of gold catches his eye.

"Muto, it does not take this much time just to get one person back inside." Mrs. Hikage says, stepping into the hall. "Where is she?"

"I don't know, Mrs. Hikage…" Yugi says quietly.

The teacher frowns. "Fine then, she can just stay out here. Come back inside, Muto."

"Yes, Mrs. Hikage." Yugi replies, waiting for her to go back in before grabbing the small gold object he had seen.  _'A dragon?'  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Tama wasn't seen by any of the group for the rest of the day up until lunch. Of course, she only has first period and two classes after lunch with at least one of them.

Today the group is sitting outside underneath a surprisingly large oak tree. Joey and Tristan are fighting about something, Tea's chatting with Yugi about dancing and school while their eating, and Duke, Ryou, and Malik are eating and discussing Duel Monsters.

"Hey you guys." Tama tiredly says as she reaches the group. "Sorry I'm late. Getting through the lunch line was pure hell."

Malik smiles at the sight of her. "You're finally here! Come have a seat and take this stupid thing." He says, holding up her Millennium Dragon.

((Thing! I am  _not_ a thing!))

Tama sighs in relief and sits down beside him. "Thank Ra you have it. I was worried when I couldn't find my laptop of it." She carefully takes the necklace from Malik and slips it on.

"Yugi was the one who found them." Malik says, handing over her laptop.

"Tama, come here for a second!" Yugi calls, interrupting their small talk.

"Hmm…?" Tama blinks before crawling over to her other cousin and Tea, her laptop in hand. "'sup?"

Tea smiles. "Yugi told me you've been doing a bit of dancing and singing since you left Domino. I was wondering if you'd like to have a contest or play te dancing game at the arcade with me."

Tama shakes her head no. "I'm not very good at dancing, and I'm just okay at singing. My skill lies in computers and dueling."

"What about your guitar?" Yugi asks. "You used to play it really well when we were kids. I remember you playing 'Happy Birthday' on it for grandpa."

Tama blushes. "I- I wasn't that good, Yugi. Besides, its been a long time since I've played it." She turns away and opens her laptop, bringing up the 3D file again.

"'Not very good'?" Yugi repeats. "Tama, you and Kiba almost had a band going for a while, remember? It was you, Kiba, Damian, and… and…" He thinks for a minute. "What was that other guy's name? The one with brown hair."

"Shirozaki Seto." Tama replies, typing something very quickly before clicking another area and typing again. "I think he handled the more minor instruments and the piano and keyboard."

Everyone else had looked over at the small tri-color haired girl when she had said the name 'Seto'.

"Wait a sec, Tama." Joey says. "You didn' say 'Seto', did ya?"

"I did." Tama replies, looking up. "Any reason why that'd be a bad thing?"

A voice from her computer kills this conversation.

/Ouch! Is this piece of shit on/ A boy asks.

Now everyone crowds around Tama and looks at the laptop. Tama sighs at their behavior, but dismisses it as normal.

/Hey Tam', ya there? If you are, then I got a message for you: Turn on your damn camera./

Tama grins, now recognizing the voice and the accent, and clips a small camera onto the top of her laptop and then plugs it in. "Hey Damian! Whassup?"

A small screen pops up. On the screen is a black spiky haired boy with neon green tips of hair and honey brown eyes. In one ear he has two earrings; one gold and one silver, and in the other is just a gold earring.

/How's my favorite English-gal doin'/ Damian asks. /Looks like you're a bit crowded at the moment. Bad time/

"I'm fine, Damian. Hows my states bud doing?"

/I'm cool… Hey, where the heck are ya anyway? I can't tell ya how long it took for me at track ya down./ Damian says, sticking his face closer to his camera.

Tama laughs. "Nice eye shot, Dami'. I'm back in Domino, or could you not tell?"

Damian blinks and sits back. /Oh, I thought I saw shrimpo behind ya. Hey Yug! How the heck are ya/ He blinks again. /Tam', please tell me that ain't the psychopathic tomb keeper ova cousin ya made meh meet./

Malik smirks. "Hey pretty-boy."

Damian's left eye twitches. /Hey Tam', call me later when nutso ain't around. He gives me a headache./

Tama resists laughing at him. "Later Damian." She waits until he closes his side of the link before unplugging her own camera and unclipping it. Then she turns off the laptop and closes it. Tama looks at Malik and raises an eyebrow. "'Pretty-boy'? Malik, is there something you're not telling me?"

"He used to have long hair." Malik says defensively. "And then there was the whole 'Truth or Dare' incident that involved him and Ishizu's makeup and jewelry."

"I remember that…" Tama murmurs. "That was funny… he looked like a girl."

RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!-

And thus the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Tama curses and shoves the only edible piece of food into her mouth - a roll - and then drags Malik and Yugi off to their next class. Everyone else soon follows.

_After Detention_

Tama yawns and lays her head on Malik's shoulder as she walks with him and Yugi. "Yugi, I can't believe you waited for us. Although… it does make things a little easier."

"Is something wrong, Tama? You never did tell me why you moved here." Yugi says, looking worriedly at her.

"I'm fine. Well, as fine as I can be." Tama corrects herself.

"She just needs to live with you and your grandpa because if her and I live together the world would be doomed." Malik says. "That and Ishizu couldn't take us being in the same house. Bad things happen."

Tama nods in agreement. "Always," She says. "always."

Yugi sweat drops. "Well, lets go talk to grandpa. You'll probably have to sleep on the couch until we get the guest room set up."

"That's fine, Yugi." Tama says, taking a step away from Malik when he pokes her. "I'm sure the couch is a better place to sleep on than the crappy apartment bed of mine."

"Tama…!" Marik hisses. "Tama!" He pokes her in her side, making her jump.

"Malik, what on ear-" Tama stops mid sentence. "Marik!" She hisses back. "What the hell?"

"Little-light needs to forgive silver-pretty." Marik whispers to her, making sure Yugi can't hear him.

Tama immediately ignores him. "Hey Yugi, do you wanna race to the game shop? I'm pretty sure I remember the way."

"What am I suppose to do then?" Malik asks, regaining control of his body.

Tama thinks for a moment. "Hey Malik, isn't your motorcycle still at school in the parking lot?"

Malik curses himself for forgetting and looks back down the road. The school is nearly a half a mile back right now.

"Later Malik!" Tama and Yugi yell at the same time as the blonde Egyptian takes off running.

Before Malik disappears from sight, Tama hears Marik whisper, "Listen, little-light." Tama sighs heavily before turning to Yugi. "So, are we gonna race or just walk?"

Yugi smiles. "I'll see you at the game shop!" He cries, taking off running.

Tama stands there and blinks for a moment. "Wait a sec, hey Yugi! That's not fair!" She takes off after him, starting off with a fast sprint.

((Tama.))

Tama almost trips at the sound of Yume's voice.  _'Y-yume! Don't scare me like that!'_ She yells at her yami, quickening her pace in an effort to catch up with Yugi.

((I know it seems odd that I'm trying to get you to talk to Ryou.))

' _Enough that you'd get Marik in on it too…'_ Tama grumbles.

Yume ignores Tama and continues. ((But something's telling me you have to forgive him. A sort of a nagging feeling that's been growing stronger all day. Something weird is going on in this city, Tama.))

' _Oh, like what?'_ Tama asks as she pauses on the sidewalk to make sure there's no cars coming before darting across the road. Less than ten feet in front of her is Yugi.

((Some energy. Another shadow magic besides our, Malik's, and Marik's.))

A wave of nervousness and worry washes over Tama from her other half.

' _Yume, calm down.'_ Tama murmurs, speeding up enough to catch up with her slightly smaller cousin.  _'Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it. But what's this got to do with Ryou?'_

By now the Turtle Game Shop s in sight.

((Honestly? I have no idea, hikari. It's just this weird feeling…))

' _Weird good or weird bad?'_

((Not sure.))

Tama sighs heavily and then pours the rest of her energy into running pas Yugi. Unable to stop herself in time, she slams open the door and-

WHAM!

falls with a thud onto her back after hitting something very solid.

"Oww…" She grumbles, lifting a hand up to her head. "What the hell did I hit?"

"Me."

Tama looks up and blinks her lilac eyes in surprise. "Oh Ra… I'm really, really sorry Seto. I was racing Yugi and-"

"Who are you?" Seto asks, promptly interrupting her.

Tama sits up, her back cracking as she does so. "Tama. Muto Tama."

"The new girl." Seto acknowledges.

"Something like that." Tama says, standing up. "Guess this means you don't remember me… that's a first." She says to herself.

Yugi runs into the shop at this time. "Tama, are you alright? Seto, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Yugi." Tama replies, retrieving her laptop from wherever it fell. "And my laptop wouldn't be either if it weren't for the case Ishizu gave me for my birthday." She smiles and pats the silver-white case. "Better check on my laptop just in case though…" She murmurs, opening it up.

The laptop gleams up at her, not a single dent or scratch on the black and gold surface.

"Thank Ra… Kiba would have had a complete fit if I had gotten my laptop damaged again." Tama says, closing the case back up before any more accidents happen.

"Did you just say 'Kiba'? As in Kiba Muto?" Seto asks.

Tama nods, looking directly at Seto. "Yeah. He's my annoying older brother. He's in Egypt right now and my dad's in the states." She tilts her head sideways, contemplating something. "You are Shirozaki Seto, right? I'm not talking to a random schoolmate that thinks I'm nuts, am I?" She asks.

Seto almost freezes at the mention of his old last name. "It's Kaiba. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a company to run."

Tama watches unfazed as Seto brushes by Yugi without a word and leaves the shop. It's at this time that their grandpa walks in.

Not recognizing Tama yet he asks, "What's going on Yugi? Who's your friend?"

"Grandpa!" Tama joyfully shouts, leaping forward to wrap Sugoroku up in a bear hug.

"Tama's back, grandpa." Yugi says, noticing the surprised look on his face.

Tama grins and takes two steps away from Sugoroku. "That's right! Watch out Domino, Tama Muto's back in town! And with Malik here-!"

"'The entire city is doomed', right?" Yugi asks, amusement in his voice.

Tama nods. "That's about right. And you're always welcome to join in on our little schemes, Yugi."

"I think I'll pass on that one Tama. Thanks anyway." Yugi says.

Tama shrugs. "Okay then. Have it your way." She says before pulling off her school jacket and setting it on the counter by her laptop. Then she turns back around to face Yugi and Sugoroku. "I have a question grandpa."

"What is it, Tama?"

"You see, dad only gave me enough money to stay in the apartment I rented for three days. He figured that would be enough time to track down you guys and my other cousins the Ishtars. But Ishizu won't let me stay with them because Malik and I get into too much trouble when we're together." Tama pauses to take a breath.

"So you want to stay with us." Sugoroku finishes. "I don't see why not. You will have to help out around the shop."

"It'll be just like old times." Yugi says happily. "Us two staying up late and playing games until we pass out from exhaustion!"

Tama giggles. "Yup, just like old times. I just have to get my stuff first. Care to help?" She asks, before walking to the door.

Yugi nods and walks forward to help. "Lets go!"


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

Later that night Tama and Yugi finally fall asleep after dueling (which wound up as a tie) and talking for hours. The two of them are now sprawled out on the floor, like that always did when they were younger. Cards and chips litter the floor around them.

Both Tama and Yugi are in their pajama's. Tama's are gray with kittens on them while Yugi's are blue with puzzle pieces. Around their necks are their respectable Millennium items.

At 7:30 the next morning, the two of them are still asleep since Sugoroku couldn't wake them up. It's at this time that Malik pulls up in his motorcycle and then walks into the game shop. Sighing at the sight of Tama's cards all over the floor, Malik quickly picks them up and sets them on the counter by her jacket.

"Mr. Muto, can I have a bucket of cold water?" Malik asks as politely as he can.

A few minutes later screams of anger, Arabic curses, and the sound of running can be heard in the gameshop. A few minutes after Malik had dumped the ice cold water on Tama, Tama successfully pins Malik down and stuffs ice cubes down the back of his shirt. During all of this, Yugi had woken up, had found out what time it was, and then had rushed around to get ready for school. Now that he's finished, he's watching Tama stuff the ice cubes down Malik's shirt.

"Tama, we've got to be at school in fifteen minutes. Shouldn't you get ready?" Yugi asks after about a minute passes.

Tama pauses in her revenge and glances down at what she's wearing. With a heavy sigh, Tama rolls off Malik, dodges his attempt to grab one of her ankles, and runs off to the guest room to change.

"Hard to believe we're related." Malik comments, sitting up so he can get the ice cubes out. "You and me I mean." He almost smirks as Yami protectively appears beside Yugi.

"Only through marriage, Malik." Yami says. "Not blood."

"I know." Malik says, getting the last of the ice cubes off. "Still afraid of me Pharaoh?"

Yami stiffens. "I was never afraid of  _you_ , Malik."

"Then me, perhaps?" Marik asks, an evil grin on his face as he appears beside his other half.

Yugi shies away slightly, remembering everything Marik did.

"You! I locked you away in the shadow realm!" Yami yells angrily. "How are you here!"

"Malik, what's going on?" Yugi asks nervously.

"This is my dark side, Marik. Don't worry, he's not  _too_ evil." Malik assures them. "How he's back from the shadow realm…? Well, Bakura did tell me how to escape and then I told Marik. It's complicated."

"You wouldn't be able to understand it Pharaoh. It's too complex for you." Marik comments.

"Yugi! Malik! You'd better not be fighting!" Tama yells down the stairs.

"She's coming down." Marik says, quickly disappearing.

Yami gives Malik a dark look before fading away as well.

Tama jumps down the rest of the steps, clad in a faded girls school uniform. (Although the part that's usually pink looks more like a faded red.) Noticing the odd looks from both of her cousins she explains. "In order to wear the guy's school uniform I had to promise to wear the girls uniform once a week. However, they never said anything about changing the pink to red, making the skirt a bit longer, or fading the entire thing."

"You added gold to it." Malik says in an approving tone. "And you're finally wearing all the gold jewelry Ishizu and I sent you! You have any of the daggers with you?" He asks.

Tama grumbles something under her breath and adjusts one of the gold bands on her wrist.

((Hikari.))

Tama inaudibly sighs. _'I'll talk to him today, Yume. If it's worrying you this much I'll talk to him today.'_

((Thank you, my Light.))

"TAMA!"

SMACK-

Tama jumps when Malik claps his hands in front of her face. "What was that for, Malik?"

Instead of Malik, it's Yugi who replies. "We're going to be late for school if we don't leave now." He pauses a moment. "Are you okay, Tama? You've been spacing out an awful lot lately."

"I'm fine, Yugi. No need to worry." Tama replies. "If we're going to be late…" She trails off and looks over at Malik.

"Oh no!" He says immediately. "I am not giving you two a ride!"

"I'll owe you a dinner." Tama bribes.

"Two dinners." Malik says. "No less."

"Fine, two dinners. As long as we're not late." Tama grumbles. "I hope you have enough helmets this time."

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Less than five minutes later they pull into the school parking lot. Although he was in the middle, and in less danger of falling off, poor Yugi is ash white and shaking slightly.

Once Malik parks, Tama slides off and helps Yugi off. "You okay there, Yugi?" Tama asks, keeping a hand on Yugi's shoulder to keep him steady. "I should have warned you about Malik's driving, but hey, at least we have five minutes to get to class."

"And what's wrong with my driving?" Malik asks, getting off as well. "We both drive the same."

Tama takes her hand off Yugi's shoulder and pulls her hair free of the braid she put it in for the ride over. "You drive more recklessly than I do. Now lets go, I need to talk to Ryou before class." She says before walking toward the school.

"I got the feeling she didn't like Ryou." Yugi comments.

"Same here." Malik says.

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Unfortunately for Tama, Ryou wound up not being at school, making the half Egyptian incredibly nervous, distraught, and distracted for the entire day. Everyone had tried to snap her out of it and Tea had tried to find out what was wrong. Not even having Marik talk to her or trying to get her involved in a duel would snap her out of it. By the time the last class was over, Tama finally snapped.

"Yugi!" She yells, careening through the hall at breakneck speed, bumping into several people. "Sorry Duke!", "My bad!", and "Sorry about that Seto!" are just a few of the things she wound up yelling. "Yugi! Yugi!" She skids to a halt in front of her surprised cousin. "Please Yugi, you've got to help me! Do you know where Ryou lives? See, he's never missed a day of school before and his dad's always gone..! I'm really worried about him. Please Yugi!"

Yugi quickly tells Tama the white-haired boys address and then Tama rushes off yelling, "Tell Malik I'm borrowing his bike!"

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_Ryou's House_

"Don't tell me there isn't another Millennium item." Bakura snarls. "I can sense a foreign magic around here. And it's not Malik's!"

Ryou whimpers from the pain from the cut on his arm. "I won't tell…"

Bakura growls at his Light. "You worthless-"

KNOCK KNOCK-

"Ryou! Ryou-kun! Please open up! Ryou!"

Ryou fearfully looks up. 'Tama…!'

"Who the he-"

"Ryou-kun, I'm going to come in okay?"- Tama yells in English.

Bakura hisses a curse before disappearing from sight, and just in time since Tama opens the door and steps in.

"Ryou? Why's it so dark in here?" Tama asks, flipping on a light switch. She walks into the living room in her hunt for him. "Ryou!" She cries, running over to him. "What happened?" She asks, motioning to the cut.

"I dropped a knife is all." Ryou murmurs, his eyes cast down. "You surprised me when you knocked on the door."

Tama frowns knowing he's lying to her. She says nothing about it though. Instead she helps him up and pulls him over to the couch. Once he's sitting down, she pulls a familiar looking blue bandana from one of her many pockets and ties it on his arm. "I'll be right back." She tells Ryou. "I need something to clean that and properly bandage it."

The next fifteen minutes are spent in silence only broken by the sound of Tama running water and then tearing open a few gauze pads. Once Tama finishes bandaging Ryou's arm and then cleans up does the silence stop.

"You should lay down." Tama comments. "You lost a lot of blood."

Ryou looks up at her. "But I need to finish cleaning up. And I have food in the oven." He tells her, trying to stand up.

Tama roughly pushes him back onto the couch, making him wince. "I'll clean up and check on the food.  _You_ are going to rest." She tells him.

Ryou sighs and pulls the blanket off the back of the couch and covers himself with it. "Better?"

Tama smiles wearily. "Much. Now, if you need anything, just call. Speaking of calling…" She murmurs. "Ryou, can I use your phone? Malik's probably mad at me for taking his motorcycle without asking him again."

"Go right ahead, Tama." Ryou replies. "Just no prank calls."

Tama giggles. "I haven't done that in years." She says, before walking off in search of the phone.

_Tama's phone conversation:_

Ring, ring! Ri-!

**Ishizu** : Hello, Ishtar residence, this is Ishizu speaking.

**Tama** : (laughs nervously) Hi Ishizu, how are you?

**Ishizu** : Hello Tama. It's nice to hear from you. I'm guessing you want to talk to Malik or Marik?

**Tama** : Malik. I kinda "borrowed" his motorcycle.

**Ishizu** : By borrowed I take it you mean "took without permission".

**Tama** : Well… basically.

**Ishizu** : He just walked in. I'll see if I can get him on.

(there's a pause while Ishizu gets Malik)

**Malik** : Tama! I can't believe you took my bike!

**Tama** : It was an emergency!

**Malik** : Oh? What kind of emergency?

**Tama** : Look, for as long as I've known him Ryou has never missed one day of school unless he was really sick. On those days I stayed at his house to help him because his dad was always gone.

**Malik** : That explains why you've been so fidgety all day. Just make sure to bring my motorcycle back in one piece, okay. That means no joy rides.

**Marik** : (cuts in) And no drag racing with Tristan or Duke like Malik-pretty did last week!

**Malik** : (hisses) I told you not to mention that again!

**Tama** : (laughs) Don't you two worry. Your motorcycle will come back in one piece. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check on the oven. See ya Malik, Marik.

**Marik** : (in the background) Ovens are evil!

**Malik** : Bye Tama.

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Once she finishes her conversation with the two blonde Egyptians, Tama goes into the kitchen and check on the food in the oven. Finding the bread in there nowhere near being done, Tama goes into the living room to check on Ryou who is now asleep. With a soft smile on her face, Tama ventures off to find the cleaning supplies.

After cleaning up the blood on the floor and putting up all the cleaning supplies, Tama pulls the bread out of the oven to let it cool and then quickly makes Ramen noodles and dumps the two containers into two bowls. Then she puts the bread on a plate and finds a tray they used to use on movie nights. Tama smiles and places the two bowls and plate onto the tray and carries it to the living room. She sets the tray down on the table before turning to wake up Ryou.

"Ryou, wake up." Tama says, tapping his shoulder. "Ryou, wakey wakey!" With a sigh Tama brushes his soft white hair back from his neck and pokes him in a ticklish spot on his neck.

Ryou springs up into a sitting position gasping for air.

"Sorry I scared you, Ryou." Tama says softly. "But you're still a heavy sleeper and I couldn't think of anything else to do."

Ryou relaxes when he hears Tama's voice. "I should have figured you'd do that. I can't believe you're still here."

Tama sighs again. "Ryou, you know very well that I'm not going to leave you when you need my help." She says, handing him one of the bowls. "Here, I made Ramen."

"Thanks." Ryou says, taking the bowl.

Silence fills the room for the umpteenth time since Tama got there.

((Tama.))

Tama visibly jumps, almost spilling her Ramen.

"Are you okay, Tama?" Ryou asks, clearly worried.

Tama nods. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just thought I heard something is all."

Ryou nods at this, but looks a little worried still.

' _What do you want, Yume?'_

((Something's off, hikari. There's a dark energy lingering here… it seems familiar somehow…)) Yume says.

' _But why would the energy be lingering here? As far as I know, Ryou is completely normal.'_ Tama asks her other half.

((Apparently you haven't noticed the interesting necklace he's wearing.))

' _Yume, Ryou isn't wearing a necklace. Your not seeing things again are you?'_ Tama asks, worried for her other half.

((I could have sworn…! But when we came in…!))

A wave of anxiety washes over Tama from Yume's side of the link.  _'Yume, will you calm down. I don't need you freaking out on me. Now be quiet, I do want to talk to Ryou, believe it or not.'_

((I believe you, little-light.))

Tama groans.  _'Not you too. Marik giving us pet names is bad enough. Do you have to use the nicknames he gave us?'_

"Tama?"

Ryou's voice startles Tama out of her conversation with Yume. "Naam?" She asks in Arabic.

"I've been meaning to ask you something." Ryou says. "After I moved from England, I sent so many letters to you. I never got a reply…" He looks into her lilac eyes, his chocolate brown ones questioning.

Tama's breath catches in her throat. "But Ryou, I never even got one letter." Her mind races for a single reason why none of his letters reached her. Remembering one incident with Mr. Bakura, she carefully tries to piece things together. "Ryou, did you give the letters to your dad to mail?"

"Well, yes." Ryou replies. "I had to give him the letter because I could never find the stamps. You don't think-"

"He never did like me." Tama says shortly. "Because of my mixed blood I suppose. Being half Egyptian and half Japanese and living in England was apparently bad in his eyes."

"There's also the fact that when he first met you it was after he found us asleep on the couch together." Ryou reminds her. "That was after one of our movie nights."

"There's also the small fact that I was completely accident prone during that time. Kinda broke a few vases…" Tama trails off. "So, you really did write to me?"

Ryou sits up and lays his bowl on the table. "Tama, we were best friends. Why wouldn't I have written to you?"

"Were? You mean we aren't best friends anymore?" Tama jokingly asks. She sets her bowl down as well and walks over to sit down by the couch Ryou's on. "Lay down." She says, poking his chest with her pointer finger. Tama waits until Ryou lays back down before she talks again.

"I can't begin to tell you how upset I was. Not even Damian and Kiba's wisecracks snapped me out of it. Malik was the only one who could make me smile for a while." Tama says, fingering the Millennium Dragon's chain. "I know you've probably been wondering why I haven't looked at you or talked to you. I've just been so upset. Seeing you again, remembering our friendship, our bond… I've been angry too. I never heard from you after you moved away so suddenly. I've been angry at myself as well… for not even trying to talk to you these past two days… It's been hard and being around Malik and Yugi was the only thing keeping me from completely breaking down."

Tama's soft lilac eyes meet Ryou's chocolate brown ones once again.

"I missed you too."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Shadow Duel

The next morning, Ryou awakens to the sound of chirping birds and a sharp pain in his arm. Looking around the room, he sees everything is exactly the way it was before he fell asleep. He feels a pang of guilt when he sees Tama sleeping on the floor beside him. Quietly, so he doesn't wake Tama up, Ryou gets up off the couch and stretches out. Then he gathers up the bowls and the tray the bread was on. He freezes in place when Tama shifts and murmurs, "Marik, Tama no want no more pudding…"

Ryou quietly laughs and carries the bowls, tray, and chopsticks into the kitchen. After putting them into the dishwasher, he begins making breakfast. He tries his best not to move his injured arm very much, but since the cut is on the arm he uses the most… It's near impossible.

Tama wakes up about fifteen minutes later from Yume's incessant poking.

 _(What is it, Yume? It's too early to get up.)_  She sleepily says.

 _((Your stomach woke me up.))_  Yume replies, annoyance in her voice.  _((Go eat something so I can go back to sleep.))_

Tama yawns. _(Yume, I'm at Ryou's house if you don't remember. I'm not going to wake him up or go find him so I can eat. It wouldn't feel right, especially with him not feeling well.)_  She says sitting up.  _(Hey, where'd he go?)_

_((Dunno.))_

Tama runs a hand through her messy, tri-colored hair.  _(If I were Ryou…)_

From somewhere within her soul room, Yume snorts.  _((That has to be one of the most ridiculous things that people have thought up.))_

Tama rolls her eyes at her yami and stands up.  _(Knowing Ryou and with it being…)_ She glances at a clock on the wall.  _(Nine o'clock in the morning, he's probably in the kitchen.)_

 _((That's where you would be.))_  Yume notes.

Tama says nothing in return as she starts walking to the kitchen. She stops at the doorframe and peers into the kitchen. A soft smile crosses her face as she watches Ryou move easily around the kitchen clad in a faded blue apron.

Yume appears beside her in order to get a better look.  _((I don't understand why you always seem to fall for the cute, innocent-looking ones.))_

 _(And I suppose you go for more of the dangerous looking guy.)_ Tama says, rolling her eyes.  _(Sometimes I wonder how I'm you.)_

Yume raises an eyebrow. _((Do you know how weird that sounds?))_

 _(Yes. Now be quiet so I can go tease Ryou like I used to.)_ Tama says, before she silently slips into the kitchen.

Yume sighs and decides to lean against the wall to watch her Light cause a little early morning trouble.

In the kitchen, Tama waits until Ryou sets down what he was holding and then, smirking, she whispers, "Morning handsome." and playfully smacks him on the butt.

Yume chokes back her laughter so she can watch how the scene plays out.

Ryou jumps up about a foot in the air and then whirls around to face Tama. "I should have known you'd do something like that!"

Tama grins. "I couldn't resist, Ryou-kun! You left your back wide open!" She peers at the breakfast Ryou made. "Anything I can do to help?"

Ryou shakes his head no. "Everything's all done."

"Then I'll take it all to the table." Tama says determinedly. "You really shouldn't be using that arm. Look, the bandages are soaked through."

Ryou glances down at his arm. "I hadn't really noticed…"

"Baka…" Tama mutters. "After we eat I'm going to re-bandage that."

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A week passes without too many incidents. Tama and Malik, everyone quickly learned, started up a prank war that had actually started the first day Tama arrived. Having Tama back in Domino also brought out different sides the others hardly ever show. Tea's motherly side ("I told you and Malik not to do that!"), Joey's smarter side (mainly involving numerous discussions on Duel Monsters tactics), Ryou's playful side (still used to Tama's pranks, he got her back for anything she pulled on him. For example, him smacking her on the butt with a dish towel after breakfast on Saturday), Duke and Tristan's slightly shyer sides (although it was mainly just her knowing how to shut them up properly), Malik's prankster side (of course), and Yugi's openly curious side.

By Friday the group was used to Tama, Malik, and Ryou's presences in the group more. Granted, they still don't trust Malik completely and remain wary of Ryou, but their used to them being around.

_Friday Evening_

Friday evening soon arrives again except this time Joey, Tea, Yugi, Ryou, Tama, Tristan, and even Malik are all crowded in the Muto's living room. (Duke had to work)

Tama's happily chatting with Joey about Duel Monsters strategies and favorite card combinations, Ryou, Malik, and Yugi are quietly discussing their darker halves, and Tristan and Tea are listening to Tama and Joey's conversation, sometimes throwing in their own comments.

"So polymerizing your Time Wizard with one of your dragons is your favorite combo?" Tama asks. "That's pretty cool. Nobody would really expect Baby Dragon to be much of a threat."

Joey nods. "So Tama, what's your favorite polymerization?"

Tama grins. "Glad you asked, Joey. I don't really use it unless I have to, but my favorite is polymerizing my Dragon of Chaotic Light and Dragon of Chaotic Darkness together to create my Dragon of the Chaotic Shadows."

"DUEL!"

Tama, Joey, Tea, and Tristan all blink and look at 'Yugi' and 'Ryou' who are now standing up and glaring at each other. Tama immediately looks over at Malik suspiciously and he holds his hands up defensively and mouths, "I didn't do anything!"

Frowning, Tama looks back over at the two boys who are now walking to the back door and her eyes widen when she takes in their changes.

' _Th-that's not Yugi and Ryou! But… it looks so much like them…'_ Tama thinks before turning back to Malik. "Malik," She slowly starts. "Tell me they don't have yami's."

"I could, but then I'd be lying." Malik replies semi-cautiously.

The other three left in the house watch, torn between going to watch Yami and Bakura's duel and breaking up Tama and Malik before they break something. In the end, it's Tea who decides what to do.

"Hey guys, shouldn't we go cheer on Yugi?" She asks. "Those two have probably started the duel by now."

"I'm cheering on Bakura, not Yami." Malik says, standing up. "Care to join me, Tama?"

Tama stands up as well. "I'm not cheering for either of them. Yugi's my cousin and Ryou's my best friend, so I couldn't possibly cheer on one of them and not the other. I will watch though."

The five of them make their way outside to the small backyard after this conversation. There, Yami and Bakura have already begun their duel.

Tea, Joey, and Tristan stand on Yami's side cheering him on as usual. (Although it's more of Tea and Tristan cheering him on and Joey tossing in a few comments now and then.) Malik is partially on Bakura's side, giving him silent support. Tama is in the middle so she can talk to Malik.

"So, mind explaining all of this?" Tama asks, watching as Yami plays Dark Magician Girl.

"Long story short, Bakura is the spirit of Ryou's Millennium Ring and used to be a thief and has a big grudge against the pharaoh. Yami is the spirit of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and used to be the pharaoh." Malik tells her.

Tama sighs. "And I thought our yami's are weird."

"Our yami's are weird, Tama. Mine's a psychopathic spirit that lives in my mind and yours is a klepto-"

Yume appears beside Tama and glares at Malik. "I  _dare_ you to finish that."

Malik snaps his mouth shut and focuses back on the duel. His silence only lasts but a second. "So, who do you think will win?"

"The pharaoh." Tama and Yume say at the same time.

Malik blinks. "Damn, and here I figured I could have an easy bet."

Tama rolls her eyes. "Why do you think I haven't asked Yugi to duel? He's the champ of Duel Monsters and I know it!"

"I came in second in Battle City but you still duel me." Malik says.

"Yeah, and I duel Joey and he came in fourth and almost beat you." Tama replies. "It-"

"Will you two shut up and watch the duel?" Yume finally snaps. "And Tama, you already dueled Yugi and it came out a draw. There. End of conversation."

Tama glares at Yume. Malik glares at Tama. Yume ignores both of them.

"Come on Yugi!" Tea yells. "You can do it!"

"C'mon Yugi! Kick his butt!" Tristan shouts.

Tama and Malik snap out of their small glaring 'contest' to stare at Tea and Tristan in something akin to disbelief. Joey shakes his head before joining the other two in the middle.

"I don't really t'ink Yug' needs much cheerin'." He explains. "Bakura probably needs more cheerin' than Yug' does. I thought you were cheerin' for Bakura, Malik."

"Silent support." Malik, Tama, and Yume says at the same time. Of course, Joey can't hear or see Yume.

"Yeah, dat makes sense." Joey says. "So Tama, why aren't you all freaked out about dis?"

Tama points to Malik. "He's my cousin. Need I say more?" At Malik's look she continues. "I've got a yami of my own, so while it's weird that both my cousin and my best friend have yami's of their own I'm not completely freaked."

"Well dat's weird." Joey comments. "I didn' know you have a yami too, Tama."

"It's not something you really tell people." Tama says. "Can you imagine a conversation like that? 'Hi, I'm Tama and this is the Millennium Dragon in which a 3000 year old Egyptian spirit named Yume lives.' Yup, I'd be shipped off to the loony bin faster than you can say, 'Ra dammit'!"

"Hey Bakura!" 'Malik' suddenly yells. "Remember Battle City finals!"

Joey and Tama immediately turn their attention back to the duel. (This seems to happen a lot…)

"Battle City?" Joey says. "Wait a second! Dat's when Yug' summoned-"

"Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Yami yells. "Come forth my great dragon!"

Tama and Yume's jaws both drop at the huge red dragon emerges from dark storm clouds that suddenly appear over them. "Osiris…" They both murmur at the same time. Then Yume turns to face Malik. "Why didn't you tell me he has the god cards!"

"You never asked." Malik replies.

"This isn't good." Yume says worriedly. "Even as a normal duel using holographic monsters you can feel the attacks. But when summoned properly, the Egyptian gods are real. Very real. And this is a Shadow Game too…"

"RYOU!" Tama screams.

Before anyone can jump forward to hold her back, Tama dashes into the duel and skids to a halt in front of 'Ryou' as Slifer's attack comes straight for them.

"Please Ra, I don't care what happens to me, just please let Ryou be alright. I promised him…" She whispers frantically, her eyes closed. "I can't break that promise, please Amun Ra…" She chances opening her eyes and sees the attack still coming. Without a further word she turns around to face 'Ryou', putting her back to Slifer's attack.

"HIKARI!" Yume screams before disappearing.

Time seems to slow down as the attack comes within feet of the two teens.

"You foolish girl!" Bakura growls.

"You may not be the Ryou I've sworn to protect," Tama fiercely says. "But you're a part of him!" She tightly shuts her eyes and tenses up, feeling the heat of Slifer's attack and the blinding light.

The others not involved in the duel, and Yami and Yugi as well, watch fearfully as the mighty God monster's attack slams into the two and… then is gone?

Tama lays unconscious on the ground in front of Bakura while the Tomb Robber looks down in disbelief of the brave (stupid in his opinion) young Light. In front of them, one hand outstretched in front of her, her dark violet eyes filled with anger, is Yume. Only something's different now. The same thing that's different about Tama now.

Both of them are decked in identical outfits like always, only this time it's Yume's outfit. The clothes they're wearing consist of pure white wraparound skirts that fall nearly to their feet. The white tops have inch-wide golden straps which rest on the edge of their shoulders, giving an almost modern off-the-shoulders look. The tops actually stop a little above their belly buttons and the bottom has a golden inch-and-a-half wide piece for decoration that is very similar to the top-most straps.

Differences remain in the jewelry they wear (Yume wears a little more gold) and in their hair and eyes of course.

"Malik, Marik, you have more explaining to do." Yume comments, wearily looking at Yami.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

An hour later the group is once again crowded into the Muto's living room. Now it's slightly more crowded with Yume, Bakura, Yami, and Marik in their spirit forms. Tama is still unconscious and is upstairs on Yugi's bed where Malik put her. Yume is sitting between Joey and Malik, who are sitting beside her to prevent any jump attacks on Bakura or Yami. Marik is leaning on the back of the couch in order to possibly help Yume. Tea is perched on the armrest of the couch by Joey. Everyone else- Tristan, Yugi, Yami, Ryou, and Bakura- are all spread out on the floor around the small living room table. (With Yugi sitting beside his fellow Light and Tristan avoiding sitting anywhere near either of the more psychotic yami's.)

"So… what Malik told me and my hikari is true…" Yume says. "Now I'm once again stuck with my two  _favorite_ men."

-/If they can be considered men…/- Marik comments through a special mind link.

Yume and Malik both try not to laugh at this.

"You know of us, but who are you?" Yami asks, looking at the only girl spirit carefully.

"I-"

"She's your other idiot cousin who loves making my life hell." Bakura says darkly. "The Dragon Guardian; Shadow Warrior; Theif Queen; and Chaos are a few names she went by."

Yume glares at him. "Tomb Robber, don't you even  _think_ \- I  _swear_ if you-"

"But my personal favorite is Little Pharaoh."

"That's  _it_." Yume hisses. "You're dead, Tomb Robber! You hear me, Theif King!  _DEAD_!"

The next ten minutes pass in somewhat of a blur. Finally, Malik and Marik restrain the tri-color haired spirit, being the only ones willing and able to do it. It took much persuasion from the remaining two Lights (and possibly a threat from Yami) to get Bakura calmed down, but after 10 minutes, everyone is once again sitting down and is silent.

"Hey guys?" A small voice tiredly asks. "What's going on?"

"Hikari…!" Yume breaths in relief. "You're alright!"

Tama laughs and sits down on the armchair by Malik. "Got a bruise, a massive headache, and my whole body feels like it's on fire, but I'll live." She pushes away Malik's arm that's trying to rest on her shoulder. "You okay, Ryou? Bakura?"

"I'm fine, Tama." Ryou replies, while Bakura gives a half-hearted nod.

Yume pouts. "I feel so unloved… aren't you going to ask if I'm alright, hikari?"

"You've been out her purposely starting fights; what do you think?" Tama asks, annoyed. "And will someone tell me what in Ra's name I am wearing?"

"It's my fault… I kinda drew a lot of power from you when I panicked and jumped in front of Slifer's attack. Apparently I've done it before because our clothes kinda automatically changed to this." Yume explains. "Which is also why your body feels like it's on fire and why you have a headache. Well, that and the small fact you interfered which a  _Shadow Game_."

Tama winces. "Oops."

It's at this time that Tea notices what time it is. "Hey guys, its getting pretty late."

"So what, Tea. It's not like we got school in da mornin'." Joey comments.

"What time is it, Tea?" Yugi asks.

"Fifteen until nine." Tea replies. "Why, Yugi?"

Tama and Yugi exchange glances before simultaneously saying, "Grandpa's got us working tomorrow."

Tristan shudders. "Man, do you know how weird it is when you do that?" He asks.

Tama and Yugi's innocent grins show that they do know. Malik and Ryou both have to resist laughing while Marik quietly cackles. The other three yami's just roll their eyes.

-)Think we should reveal our secret?(- Yugi asks.

-(But that'd ruing all of our fun.)- Tama replies. -(Besides, we may need for them to not know later. Back me up, Malik.)-

-/Yeah Yugi, don't go ruin our fun/- Malik echoes, thinking up a few crazy plans that'll never work.

Ryou soon joins the link due to Tama's prodding. -'What on earth…?'-

-(Welcome to the Light's Only Mind Link wave-thingy.)- Tama says, joyously.-(Where hikari's will forever be safe from their yami's prodding.)-

Malik grins. -/But not from the prodding of their fellow Lights/-

Yugi and Ryou both sweat drop.

-)Why the term 'Light'?(-

-(Because that's what we are; the lighter halves- making us the Lights or the hikari's.)-

-/I like Light better because it sounds less girly./-

The other three sweat drop at Malik's statement.

-'Guys, I don't mean to sound rude, but as Lights aren't we suppose to be at least slightly sane?'-

There's silence in the mind link for a moment, allowing them to catch a snippet of conversation from the outside world.

"No, Tama actually got the Millennium Dragon when she was about 12; just a little while after Ryou moved." Yume says.

-(You know, that's a good question.)-

-/One that we are  ** _not_** asking Shadi./- Malik says firmly. Then, as if sensing Yugi and Ryou's confusion, which he probably does since they're using a mind link, he explains. -/The last time Tama and I got together was a while after we both got our Millennium items. We were thinking up weird questions to ask and then Tama got the 'brilliant' idea to ask Shadi some of them. Then there was the whole 'attempting the find him' thing…/-

-(The others probably think we're insane now- Joey, Tea, and the others I mean.)- Tama comments. (Our yami's are doing a pretty good job at covering it up though. And then Marik slips up… Guys I really think we should drop this link now.)-

The others agree and one by one, the link falls.

When Tama comes to, she finds Joey and Yume both poking her. When Malik opens his eyes, he finds out that Marik has taken the liberty of braided pieces of his hair. Ryou hesitantly looks over at his yami and receives an uncaring glance. Yugi had accidentally tilted sideways while he was chatting with the other Lights, so his head is resting on Yami's shoulder when he comes to.

"Yam-iiiiieeeeee!" Malik whines, pulling on one of the braids. "What did you do to my hair!"

"Stop poking me!" Tama yells. "My poor body already hurts! Oww-! Yume, that's where my bruise is!"

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Nearly an hour later everyone has finally managed to leave the Turtle Game Shop. Malik had offered Ryou a ride home in order to prevent Ryou from worrying if he got home safe. This leaves Tama, Yugi, and their yami's alone in the living room. (Since Sugoroku has long since gone to bed.)

"Sleep or soda?" Tama asks Yugi.

Yugi quickly replies, "Soda. I'll get the pillows and blankets and you get the soda and snacks?"

Tama grins. "Always Yugi."

Yami and Yume watch in confusion as their hikari's suddenly run off in different directions.

"What are those little Lights up to…?" Yume fondly murmurs.

Yami raises an eyebrow. "'Little Lights'?" He repeats.

"We're their darker halves, making us Darks. They're our lighter halves, making them Lights." Yume explains. "You'd think the pharaoh would know something light that."

Yami frowns but says nothing as Yugi tumbles into the room with an armload of pillows and blankets. Yami immediately goes to help Yugi, only to wind up making yugi trip over one of the blankets which makes them both fall over. Yume laughs at the funny sight, and Tama, who just now enters the living room with the soda and snacks, starts laughing as well.

"Yami, please get your butt out of my face…" Yugi mumbles from somewhere under the heap of blankets and pillows.

His statement, of course, makes Yume double over from laughing so hard. Tama attempts to calm down a but and sets the soda and snacks down in order to help our Yugi and Yami.

((Hey hikari, leave them alone. This is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. I can hear it now! 'Pharaoh and his Light buried under pile of blankets and unable to escape'! Marik would have a field day!))

Tama gives her yami a patronizing look before starting to pull off the topmost blanket.

"Ouch! Aibou, that's my hair."

"Sorry Yami."

Tama giggles. "You two having fun under there or do you want me to get these blankets off you?"

There's a moment of silence under the blankets.

"It's rather nice under here." Yami says jokingly.

"Yami!" Yugi protests.

Tama chokes back some of her laughter. "So is that a, 'please get these bloody blankets off,' or is it a, 'I want to stay under the blankets and remain tangled up,' request?" She teasingly asks.

Tama hears the two whisper amongst one another for a few seconds. By now Yume has finally calmed down and is paying attention.

"Tama," Yugi finally speaks up. "will you please help get these blankets off of us?"

"Yup." Tama replies, pulling the first blanket all the way off. "For the love of Isis, how many blankets did you bloody get, Yugi?"

"A lot."

Tama rolls her eyes. "I can see that." She pulls off another blanket and throws it at Yume, who switches to her non-solid spirit form and then goes solid again.

"Missed me, little-Light." She says, just as Tama throws another blanket at her. This time the blanket hits Yume and uncovers Yugi's hair.

"Think you can get out now, Yugi?" Tama asks.

"There's a blue blanket wrapped around one of my ankles and Yami's wrist."

Tama gives a long suffering sigh. "I don't know what you've done without me for all these years, Yugi. I really don't." She spots the blue blanket and gives it a sharp tug, untangling Yugi's foo.

"My arm doesn't go that way." Yami comments.

"Stop complaining. I'm the one who's bloody untangling the stupid blankets." Tama says, tugging the blanket again.

Yume devilishly grins. "Hey Yami," she starts, sounding very amused. "You do realize that you could have dropped being solid and gotten out by now."

"Oops."

Tama now suspiciously eyes the pile of blankets and then motions Yume over. (Yume, would you mind taking care of this while I go check on something in the kitchen?)

((Of course not, hikari.)) Yume replies, walking over and taking the blanket.

Tama gives her yami a small smile and bounces off to the kitchen. Then she goes straight to the closet on the other side of the room where she knows Sugoroku keeps extra pillows. Hearing Yume's sharp yell from the living room and the sound of pillows smacking into the girl Dark makes Tama grin.

Quickly, she grabs three pillows and runs back into the living room where she immediately bombards Yugi and Yami with them.

The supreme half tag, half hide-and-seek, pillow fight lasts for the next hour and a half, which is when Sugoroku wakes up and reminds them that they need to be up early in the morning to help out around the shop. After he went back to bed, Yume and Yami got into a lengthy DM (Duel Monsters) conversation which easily evolved into a lengthy duel that Yugi and Tama fell asleep during.

Pity the two poor Darks who didn't fall asleep until about two in the morning and will later be woken up by their semi-hyperactive Lights at 8 o'clock in the morning. Poor, poor Darks.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Couch Issues_

_Wow, it's been a while since I last wrote in this. I guess being reunited with half your family and your best friend does that to ya. I have to say it's been a really interesting week and weekend. Joey's- one of Yugi's friends- is pretty cool. He's really laid back about everything. He still doesn't trust Malik or Marik though, even though we explained it was meant to be a joke but then the darkness residing in Malik broke free and separated him from Marik…_

_Bakura's reaction- Bakura's Ryou's yami- was really funny when he heard this. He yelled something along the lines of, "You mean I almost died because of a stupid joke!" and then Yume said it'd be better if he had died. But that would mean Ryou would have died too, so she took it back._

_Tea's changed a lot, so she's not all that much fun to hang out with anymore. Everything's all clothes and friendship with her. (If I hear the word 'friendship' come from her mouth_ **one** _more time I'll… I'll… do something violent.) Tristan Taylor is another one of Yugi's friends. He's alright, but I dunno… there's something about him that bugs me I guess. Then there's Duke Devlin, who's okay. He tries to hard to get a girl's attention though. He kinda reminds me of my brother, long hair and all. ((laughs)) But of course, there's more differences between them. Joey Wheeler reminds me a lot of Damian; minus the major flirting. (Thank Ra!) Despite what some of the others say, I think he's pretty smart. Sure, he's not Einstein, but who is? I also had the privilege of meeting Joey's younger sister, Serenity. She's soo sweet. At times it's hard to believe that they're brother and sister. Their eyes are what shows that they are, and the way they treat one another. Gah, I remember too much detail. I mean, look! This entry's the longest I've written for a long time and I have barely covered anything!_

_I need to finish this later 'cause Yugi's calling me. I will write this though: I hate that couch and grandpa can't clean out the guest room because it's his "storage room"._

_My family is so screwed up. We've got one psychotic yami, one petty theif, one pharaoh, one partial psychic, one King of Games, one Dragon Guardian, one gameshop owner, one computer fanatic, one electronics fanatic, and me- who has yet to gain a title. (Little-Light doesn't count!)_

_Yume's threatening to summon the Shadows to get me downstairs now. Lol. Write more later._

_-Tama-_

"TAMASHIRA-"

"I'm coming, YUMERI!" Tama yells back, using her yami's full name. She quickly grabs her journal and slips it into her book bag. Then she grabs her laptop and dashes down the stairs.

"What took you so long?" Yugi asks. "If we don't leave now we'll be late, you know."

"I know, I know!" Tama replies. "I was writing in my journal."

Yugi blinks. "You have a diary?"

Tama slips on her black boots and loosely ties the strings. "It's a journal. Ryou gave it to me on my 12th birthday. Mine's amethyst (1) and the one I gave to him for his birthday is emerald green." She replies. "I sent Malik a blue one and you got the red one, remember?"

The two walk out of the Turtle Game Shop talking about the journals. When Joey joins them the conversation changes to a comic book/super hero discussion.

"Marvel is way better than Capcom!" Tama exclaims. "Look at all the way awesome Marvel characters! Spiderman, Wolverine Storm, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and the rest of the X-Men! The only really famous Capcom character us Superman!"

"Dat ain't true!" Joey protests. "And Spiderman ain't part of da X-men."

"I know that! I didn't want to continue rambling off the names of the rest of the X-men!"

"Really? Maybe ya should next time den."

"Fine! Rouge, Gambit, Iceman, Shadowcat, Siren, Multiple-!"

"Okay, I get it!" Joey yells.

Tama and Joey are remarkably quiet after this conversation. Even when Tea and Tristan join up with them they don't talk. This lasts all the way to school, which is when they finally turn to one another and at the same time say, "You win." Then they crack up laughing.

This is the scene Malik, Ryou, and Duke walk up on.

"Well, we defiantly missed something good." Duke says.

Tea steps away from the two. "Your not the only one, Duke. They haven't said a word the entire way."

Yugi sighs and mumbles, "You missed their big Marvel verses Capcom debate…"

Malik sighs as Joey and Tama calm down. "Hey Tama, you weren't having an unannounced silence contest, were you?"

Tama nods. "Figures you'd get it right. We used to do that all the time with Ishizu."

-RIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!-

The group bolts to homeroom (like they do every day) and barely make it in time (like always). The teacher then begins to lecture them on the importance of getting to class before the final bell rings. Everyone ignores her, of course, in favor of doing other constructive things. Like finishing the homework they were assigned the day before that's due today.

Joey and Tristan are busily finishes up the homework they "forgot" about, Tea's passing notes with some of the girls in the class, Duke's looking over paperwork for his game, and Tama's writing in her journal while "mind-chatting", as the Lights now call it, with Yugi, Ryou, and Malik.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_-I never got around to writing about the other two yami's. I mentioned Bakura, Ryou's yami. He's a little rough around the edges and I think he threatens Ryou a lot. That may explain the look in his eyes… Anyway, Yume doesn't get along with Bakura at all. Something about them having a bad past._

_You already know about Malik's yami, Mariku, and my yami, Yumeri, but my other cousin has one as well. Ironically, Yugi's yami's name is Yami. (At least, that's what we call him) Apparently he doesn't remember much of his past and all Yume remembers about him is that they were cousins and he was the pharaoh.-_

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-Hey Tama, we're setting up the mind chat.- Yugi says. -Care to join us?-

-(Of course not, Yugi.)- Tama replies.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_-I also was writing about the living room couch earlier. By Ra, I hate that couch. I haven't talked to Yugi about it yet, but I'm thinking about moving into a small apartment. I figure I'll get a small job as a waitress or see if grandpa will pay me if I work in the game shop. My poor back hurts so much. And don't give me that look! Yume's even complaining about it when she does take over.-_

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-/Hey Tama, what are we going to do after school/- Malik asks.

-(Not one clue.)- Tama replies. -(Why? What are you boys plotting?)-

-'Yugi and Malik want to go bug Seto Kaiba by going to Kaiba Land to duel.'- Ryou tells her.

-)I do not!(- Yugi protests. -)It's Yami who wants to go!(-

-/It wouldn't have anything to do with trying to convince Kaiba of his past in Egypt, would it? Because there is  _no way_ he's getting my Rod/-

There's silence in the link for a moment.

-(Dude, that sounded wrong.)- Tama informs her blonde cousin, using a word she picked up from Damian.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_-I guess that's really all that's happened. Malik hasn't come up with any evil/insane plots to take over the world yet, so I haven't gotten in trouble with Ishizu yet. (Thank Ra!)_

_Here's my list of things to do:_

_I. Either get grandpa to clean out the guest room or find an apartment. (which leads to many other steps)_

_II. Help Joey understand our Geometry homework._

_III. Think up a plot to take over the world with Malik._

_IV. Try to get the yami's to stop fighting._

_V. Finish the program and somehow get it sent to bro._

_Some of them are near impossible (like II and IV) but I'll manage somehow._

_-Tama- -_

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-/Okay, so it sounded wrong. But you all know what I'm talking about. At least, you had better/- Malik says warningly.

-'Don't worry, Malik. We know.'- Ryou tells him reassuringly.

-(Jeez Malik, you try to take over the world but can't handle a little joke.)- Tama mentally mock-sighs. -(What am I going to do with you?)-

-/Nothing. Like always./-

Yugi giggles.

-/Yugi, the only other guy I know who giggles is Marik. Please don't do that again./-

-(Malik, Marik does that insane-sounding high pitched giggling, which is not only disturbing, but it sounds nothing like Yugi's.)-

-'Do I want to know?'-

-/(No!)/-

Yugi and Ryou sweat drop.

-)Tama, I'm pretty sure it's insane-sounding because he is insane. No offense, Malik.(- Yugi says.

Malik shrugs. -/He's not that bad. He never was, as I've explained many times./-

-(Sure, he's a little psychotic-)-

-/Not helping./-

-(-but what yami isn't?)- Tama continues, ignoring Malik's glare. -(Yugi, I don't want to hear anything from you. Even Yami is slightly psychotic.)-

This gets Malik's attention. -/Ooo! Do tell/-

Yugi groans and buries his face in his arm.

-'Tama, do you really want to get on Yami's bad side?'-

-(Not really. I just like telling Malik all the odd things Yami does. It helps me with blackmail! Besides, how am I going to be the one in trouble if it's Malik who tells Marik and Marik who eventually tells Bakura?)-

-'He'll find someway to pin it on you.'-

-/Yeah, Ryou knows this from experience./- Malik says, before getting hit by a paper football.

-(In that case, I could care less.)- Tama replies nonchalantly, ignoring Malik. -(Wait 'til you hear this one, Malik…)-

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The Light's conversation continues for the rest of homeroom. More than once one of them wound up cracking up, getting a glare from the teacher and odd looks from the other kids. Poor Yugi keeps his head buried in his arms for most of the time, but when Tama and Malik started sharing stories about the odd things their Darks have done he lifts his head up. Even Ryou told a couple of stories involving Bakura and household appliances.

Lunch comes quickly and the gang is soon once again sitting under the large oak tree. Strangely, Tama's running late.

Tea looks around at everyone. "Hey Yugi, where's Tama at?"

Yugi looks up from his sandwich. "She's been having a little trouble getting around today and I think she got into another fight with the soda machine in the cafeteria."

"But she's usually here by now." Ryou comments. "I hope she's alright."

Malik lazily stretches out under the tree, tossing a red apple up into the air before catching it. "She'll be fine. Tama knows how to fight and Yume's always with her."

"What's with da apple, Malik?" Joey asks, wearily eyeing the flying fruit.

Malik smirks at the other blonde. "I poisoned it this morning and I'm going to feed it to some poor, unsuspecting mortal. You want it, Joey?"

Joey pales and quickly shakes his head no.

"Oh?" Malik raises an eyebrow. "Alright then, guess I'll eat it."

The others, minus Yugi and Ryou (who are basically used to it by now), watch in confusion as Malik catches the apple and bites into it.

It's at this time that Tama finally rejoins the group with her own apple and a bottle of Pepsi in hand. "Malik, are you teasing Joey again?"

"Nmm." Malik replies with his mouth full of apple.

Tama sighs and rolls her eyes before stiffly sitting down between Yugi and Tea.

"Where were you, Tama?" Tea asks. "We were getting worried."

Tama waves off the concern. "I was just talking to Seto, that's all. Although how he found out about my little issue I have no idea…" She grumbles the last part.

"'Issue'?" Yugi asks. "What issue, Tama?"

Tama takes a bite of her own apple and chews it before swallowing. "No offense, Yugi, but I can't stand sleeping on the couch. My back has been so sore from sleeping on that thing that even Yume's complaining. Yume almost never complains!"

"Hey Tama, if you can't find a place to stay, Marik and I can  _talk_ to Ishizu about letting you stay with us." Malik says, emphasizing the word 'talk'.

Tama looks crossly at her blonde cousin. "Malik, you and Marik are not going to threaten Ishizu. Or bribe her." She adds before Malik can say anything else. "I'm gonna rent a small apartment."

"What!" Almost everyone exclaims.

Tama calmly eats her apple.

"Man, I'd ask you to stay with me, but I don't have any room." Tea says sadly.

Tama shrugs. "Guys, it doesn't matter. I've made up my mind so there's no changing it. And Kaiba might possibly have a job for me, but I don't know…" She doesn't mention which Kaiba, and allows them to assume who it is.

"Kaiba?"

"Tama, you don' wanna work for moneybags," Joey growls. "He's a class A creep!"

"I wouldn't be working with Seto. I'd be working with Mokuba since it was basically his idea." Tama says. "And Joey, Seto's not that bad." She stiffly stands up. "I never said I'd take the job… Look, I'll talk to you all later. See you." She starts walking off.

Ryou jumps up as a though occurs to him. "Hey Tama, wait up!"

The tri-color haired girl pauses mid-step to wait up for him to catch up, which he does within seconds.

"I'll never get them." Tristan says. "When Tama first moved here she acted like she hated Ryou. Now they're all buddy-buddy with one another."

Duke shakes his head. "It's pretty obvious that they knew each other before and had a disagreement or something." Out of the corner of his eye he sees Malik tossing the apple, now with a bite taken out of it, up into the air again. "Malik, will you cut that out!"

"You know," Joey starts, ignoring the once again flying fruit. "Tama and Ryou make a good couple."

The apple Malik was throwing into the air lands with a 'thunk' on Malik's head as he glares at Joey.

"They do, don't they." Yugi acknowledges. "What do you think, Malik?"

Malik glares at the two of them and dusts off the apple. "I think  ** _no_**." He says darkly, rolling over so his back is facing them. He soon begins angrily biting into the apple.

"Oh, come on, Malik. Ryou would never hurt Tama." Yugi says. "And I think she really likes him which is defiantly a first."

" _Ryou_ wouldn't hurt her." Malik growls.

The others fall silent.

"Well," Joey says after a moment of silence. "Dat's a good point, Malik."

-RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG!-

And yet another lunch period ends, leaving the group rushing to the nearest trash bin and then to their next class. Joey practically runs to his class, in order to try and talk to Tama before class starts. Unfortunately for him, he got stopped by a teacher and got detention for running in the hall.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

After school is a loss for all of them. Joey and Malik both have detention and Tama and Ryou both disappeared before Yugi, Tea, Tristan and Duke could find them. So when Yugi walks into his living room he's slightly surprised to see the two sitting on the couch together, laughing about something.

"Tama, where were you?" Yugi asks. "Me and the others were waiting for you."

Tama, who had jumped at the sound of Yugi's voice, takes her hand off of her heart. "Yugi, you scared me!" She brushes one of the blonde sections of her bangs out of her eyes. "I walked here with Ryou 'cause he decided to help me out. And we wanted to talk a bit."

"Well, Malik most likely won't help." Ryou reminds her. "Because, as you've said, he is rather overprotective of you. He's worse than Kiba."

"Wait a second!" Yugi exclaims. "Can you please explain what's going on before you continue?"

Tama blinks in confusion before realizing she was rambling again. "Sorry Yugi. I guess I'm just a little hyper or something.

"I told you not to drink the rest of the Pepsi on the way over." Ryou light-heartedly scolds.

Tama giggles and swings around so she's hanging upside down on the couch. "I know, I know."

Yugi walks over and sits on the couch beside Ryou. "You know, that doesn't really answer my question." He tiredly says.

"Oopsie! Well, ya see, Ryou's got an extra room at his house and asked me to move in with him!" Tama happily chirps, peering under the couch. "Hey lookie! It's the candy bar that Joey lost!" She grabs the candy bar and holds it up for the two boys to see. "Think he'll be mad if I eat it?"

"Yes." Ryou replies, taking the candy bar from her.

Tama pouts. "Oh, come on Ryou-kun."

"You'll thank me later." Ryou says, ignoring her use of her and Malik's recently perfected 'hikari eyes'. (Which is about 2x stronger than puppy eyes, but unfortunately doesn't work on fellow hikari's.)

"Meanie." Tama mumbles, laying back upside down to resume looking under the couch. "Ooo! A nickel!"

Ryou and Yugi both sweat drop.

"So you invited Tama to stay with you?" Yugi asks, wanting to confirm it with the white-haired boy.

Ryou shifts uneasily. "Yes, I have so much room at my house… my dad's always gone…"

"Big, empty house, ne?" Yugi says. "As long as Tama's happy."

-THUNK-

Yugi and Ryou both look around for the source of the noise.

"Hey Ryou, where'd Tama go?" Yugi asks, glancing down at the floor where Tama was at.

Ryou looks down as well. "That's odd, I didn't even feel her get up."

"She's getting good at that." Yugi says, frowning. "I think Yume's been teaching her."

A loud, sudden noise from of the rooms next to them makes Yugi and Ryou both wince. They then exchange bewildered glances when Tama dances into the living room singing along to the song.

"Dance with me, Ryou!" Tama happily chirps, pulling Ryou off the couch.

"Tama-!"

Yugi laughs as, for the next five minutes, Tama ropes Ryou into dancing before she bounces off to switch CD's. Ryou quickly reclaims his seat beside Yugi before the hyperactive teen comes back.

"Great Scott…" Ryou breaths softly. "She's worse than Malik when he gets ahold of too much sugar."

Yugi nods in agreement, remembering an incident earlier that week involving Malik, his yami, and about a pound of sugar. "Are you sure that all she had was a bottle of Pepsi?" He asks.

"I'm not too sure about that." Ryou replies. "When we got here Tama ran off to the kitchen to grab a snack."

Yugi sighs. "Well, there's only one thing to go when she gets like this."

"What would that be, Yugi?"

"Call Tea up and hope she's in the mood to dance." Yugi replies, standing up.

Ryou sweat drops as Yugi walks across the room and picks up the phone. More sweat drops appear as Yugi presses a single button and then waits for the brunette girl to pick up.

"Hey Yugi?" Ryou asks.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you have Tea's number on speed dial?" (2)

Yugi blinks. "Well, we've been friends since we were little kids. And anyways, it's Tama's fault we have it on speed dial."

"Oh." Ryou murmurs, glancing over to the doorway that Tama had disappeared behind. "Hey Yugi, can you ask Tea to hurry?"

Yugi almost laughs. "Don't worry, I will."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ryou winds up leaving the Muto's house by 10:13, turning down Yugi's offer to sleep over. (Tama is passed out on the couch by this time.) Why did he stay there that long? Simply because he, Yugi, and Yami found watching Tea and Tama go at it for half the night funny. (Tea had brought over her DDR game and a bunch of CD's, some of which sent Tama into a fit of giggles.)

There was one odd moment that night when Bakura had faded in beside Ryou to watch Yume attempt to dance. Ryou had simply brushed it off as Bakura gathering blackmail against the slightly younger spirit.

Ryou glances back at the game shop and smiles. _'I'm glad Tama's here. There's just something about her…'_ He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, shoves his hands into his pockets, and continues walking home, content for the first time in a long time.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: House War

-RIIIIIINNNNN- -smack-

5 minutes later…

-RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG!- -SMACK-

A sigh can be heard beneath sky blue blankets.

-RRRIIIIIN- -SLAM!-

The sigh turns to a growl as a girl with bright red hair that has black streaks and blonde tips shoots up out of bed and jerks the alarm clock out of the wall. "That's what you get for waking up my hikari with your evil ringing!" Yume growls.

('Yami?') A semi-awake voice questions.

((Yes, little-Light?))

('First of all, don't call me that. Next, can I please have control back?')

((But what if the Ra dammed Tomb Robber is up? What if he-))

('Yami, I  _can_ take care of myself, believe it or not. Besides, you're always with me.')

((Is that suppose to make me feel better about all of this?))

('Yes.') Tama replies quickly before forcing her yami back into the dragon.

((Hikari!)) Yume whines.

('I got it from you.') Tama reminds her, getting up out of bed. She glances at the alarm clock and sighs. ('Hey Yume, did you manage to see what time it is before you unplugged my alarm clock?')

((Sorry hikari, I didn't.)) Yume replies.

Tama grumbles something under her breath and runs a hand through her messy, tri-colored hair. ('Well, I guess I'll go see if Ryou's up yet and figure out what time it is.')

((Have fun, Tama.)) Yume says, before shutting her end of the mind link.

Tama gives a heavy sigh before walking out of her bedroom, through the living room, and over to Ryou's doorway. She giggles softly when she sees him hugging one of his pillows in his sleep, small wisps of white hair falling into his face. Tama watches him breath for a minute before glancing at his alarm clock. 'Figures my alarm would go off at seven… Ryou's lucky he doesn't have a yami who purposely tries to annoy him.'

((And what's that suppose to mean, hikari? At least you don't have a yami who tries to kill all your friends and take over the world.))

('So says the one-time miss "I'm gonna rule the world someday".')

((…)) Yume almost immediately closes her end of the mind link for the second time that morning.

Tama smirks at having outsmarted her yami for once and then goes to the kitchen to make breakfast.

-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-

A young girl with light red hair with black streaks and blonde tips stares boredly out a palace window with deep amethyst eyes.

"Miss Yumeri?" A girls voice asks.

Yumeri smiles and turns to face her brown-haired best friend. "Hey Mana, how are you?"

Mana laughs and walks into the room. "I'm just fine, Yumeri! The question is, are you ready for a day in the town?"

"Of course!" Yumeri happily replies, smoothing out her less-than-regal clothing.

"Remember what I told you about how you act?" Mana asks. "You can't keep smoothing out your clothes."

Yumeri sighs and rolls her eyes. "I know, Mana. I'm just a little nervous about all of this."

Mana frowns and walks forward. "And you have to take off some of this jewelry."

Yumeri looks sadly at her best friend, but allows the slightly younger girl to remove almost all of her jewelry. All that Mana leaves is Yumeri's dragon pendant and her arm bands. (All in gold.) Mana herself only has a golden bracelet on each wrist.

Yumeri uneasily fiddles with one of the gold bands. "Mana, how are we going to get out of here without anyone seeing us?"

Mana smiles. "Well, I've been learning this transportation spell and I've gotten pretty good at it. The only problem is that I've never transported anyone with me… but I'm sure it can't be too hard!"

Yumeri stares at Mana, one of her kohl lined eyes twitching.

"Don't give me that look, Yumeri! I know what I'm doing!" Mana cries, placing her hands on her hips.

"Fine, but I have to know one thing, Mana. Are you crazy?" Yumeri asks.

"I'm perfectly sane, thank you." Mana replies, rolling up her sleeves. "Now lets get going."

-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-

Yume slowly stirs in her soul room. The Millennium Dragon illuminates the room with a soft golden glow, then begins to flicker and die out. It completely dies when Yume quickly opens her eyes, her senses on high alert.

'Hikari. Danger. Now. Move!'

She springs up out of bed and runs out her soul room and into the corridor. Then she rips control away from Tama, forcing her Light into the soul corridor.

"YUME!" Tama's angry yell echoes throughout the soul corridor.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Outside in the kitchen, Yume immediately takes action by ducking and springing out of the way of Bakura's attack. Then she quickly grabs the nearest item to help her.

"A butter knife, Little Pharaoh? Even you wouldn't use a butter knife as a weapon." Bakura comments, glaring at her.

Yume glares fearlessly right back at him. "I'll use whatever the hell I want for a weapon, Thief. Anything's fine to use against you."

Bakura growls at her and Yume smirks, knowing she's hit his pride. Bakura slowly advances on the female yami, never once breaking eye contact with her.

"I'm not afraid of you, Tomb Robber." Yume fiercely says, slowly backing up as Bakura starts coming too close for comfort. Fear flickers briefly in her eyes when her back hit's the wall.

With a fast, precise move, Bakura gets the butter knife from Yume's grip and tosses it down on the ground where it clatters across the linoleum kitchen floor.

Yume lets out a dragon-like growl when Bakura pins her to the wall, his strong arms on either side of her. At the same time, she fights back a blush. 'Why does he still have to be so hot- ARG! Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, bad thoughts!'

"Still not afraid?" Bakura whispers in her ear.

This time Yume can't prevent her reaction. She fails to suppress the shiver that runs through her body as Bakura's warm breath brushes her cheek. She then tightly shuts her eyes, trying to get herself back under control while mentally cursing herself for losing it to begin with. Bakura smirks at her reactions and decides to change his original plan.

Yume's eyes snap open when she feels warm lips on her own. Almost immediately, the two are each thrown into a flashback, leaving their Lights to deal with the situation.

When the Lights regain control, they're still in a liplock. Blushing, the two back away from one another, an awkward silence filling the air.

After what feels like hours, the phone rings, breaking the silence. Ryou quickly scurries to the living room to answer it, leaving Tama alone in the quiet kitchen.

"Tama, Marik wants to talk to you."

Tama blinks, not registering which of the Ishtar "twins" Ryou said. "But I didn't-! How-?" Her expression darkens. "I'm going to  _kill_ Joey."

Forgetting all about her embarrassment, Tama walks over and takes the phone from Ryou and then goes to the living room to yell at "Malik".

Ryou sighs and looks around the kitchen for something to do. Spotting a half-made bowl of cookie dough, he decides to surprise Tama by finishing up. Of course, him knowing that Tama will be on the phone with Marik and Malik for a while helps.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Give me the Ra-dammed remote, Tomb Robber!" Yume yells, trying to snatch the TV remote from Bakura's hands.

"It's my turn, Dragon Guardian!" Bakura growls, shoving Yume back.

Tama and Ryou sweat drop as they watch the two from the safety of the kitchen.

"I am not watching sumo wrestling!"

"Then go help the girls in the kitchen!"

-THUD-

"Get off me, bitch!"

"Give me the damn remote or change the fucking channel then!"

Tama turns to Ryou as the white-haired boy groans. "Well, look at the bright side. They're not trying to kill each other anymore and they're not breaking anything."

"But Bakura's solid, that's not a good thing." Ryou says, watching as his yami struggles to keep the remote from Yume.

"True," Tama says, turning back around to finish cutting up carrots. "But he'll only be solid for today and then he'll have to wait a few days for that magic to recover. I remember when Yume first discovered she could go solid. She passed out for a few hours after the first time. It takes a while before they can change to solid and spirit at will."

-Ding dong-

Tama and Ryou exchange glancing, trying to figure out who will answer the door.

"Your hands are covered with chicken stuff." Tama notes. "I'll answer the door, you go wash your hands." She sets the sharp knife down and walks out of the kitchen, dodges a flying pillow, and carefully makes her way to the door without further incident. She opens the door and is surprised to see Malik and Yugi standing there. "What brings you two out here? You didn't get worried, did you?"

Yugi looks sheepishly down at the ground while Malik looks straight at her.

"I came to check on you and apologize for my reaction. Yugi's here- well, I have no clue why Yugi's here." Malik says.

-CRASH!-

"Bakura!" They hear Ryou yell in the background.

Malik raises an eyebrow, Tama sweat drops, and Yugi stares behind his only female cousin in surprise.

"Ano…" Tama glances back into the house to see Ryou rushing from the kitchen to the living room. "Come on in. I've gotta help Ryou get our crazy Darks under control, but that's no reason for you two to stand outside." She steps back and lets them in and then shuts the door. Then she quickly walks down the hall to the living room. Yugi and Malik follow her, curious about what's going on. Along the way, Marik and Yami appear.

In the living room, Yume has gained possession of the remote and Bakura's trying to wrestle it from her. Ryou is trying to get them to stop fighting, but it's not working.

Tama studies the scene and an idea pops into her head. 'Lets see… it's a little after two…' "Hey Malik, it's Sunday today, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Malik asks.

Tama grins secretively at him. Then she bounds into the room, snatches the remote from Yume, plops down on the couch between the two spirits, and turns the TV to the channel NASCAR is on. (1)

"Tama!" Yume and Bakura both yell in protest.

Tama quickly sits on the remote, knowing that's one way to keep them from getting it. Malik and Marik crack up laughing at her old trick, Yugi and Yami sweat drop, Ryou sighs in relief, and Bakura and Yume both pout. This only lasts a few minutes, which is how long it takes for Yume and Bakura to realize that Yami and Marik are over.

"Well, have fun watching the race!" Tama chirps, standing up with the remote in hand. "Tell me who wins!" She grabs Ryou's hand and tugs him past their fellow Lights and their Darks and into the kitchen. Yugi and Malik follow, leaving their Darks in the living room.

Now, we all know that this is a bad idea. Marik, Bakura, and Yume all don't get along with Yami too well. This automatically spells trouble, especially since Yume and Bakura are willing to put their ongoing war against each other on hold to work together. Pity Yami for a moment and then laugh as the other three Darks hogtie him, stick an apple in his mouth(2), and then lock him in the closet. Ah, the life of a Dark.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9: Yami Psychology!_

"Tama, Malik, do either of you have any clue why I found Yami bound and gagged in my closet last night?" Yugi asks the two early on Monday morning.

Malik chokes on his apple (which is his breakfast) and Tama looks at Yugi likes he's crazy. Apparently, neither of them are fully awake yet.

"Bound and gagged in your closet?" Ryou repeats. "That sounds like-"

Tama and Malik finally wake up at hearing this and crack up laughing. This earns many odd looks from everyone else in the classroom.

"I take it you two do know." Yugi says to the laughing maniacs.

Tama manages to calm herself down a little. "S-sorry, Yugi!" She takes a few deep breaths to fully calm down, then she whacks Malik on the head. "Malik, you're spitting apple everywhere. Eat it, don't spit it out."

"So?" Yugi asks.

Tama sighs. "Yes, it was Yume, Marik, and Bakura who did it. They've been unusually active lately."

"I think they need psychology." Malik says jokingly, tossing his apple across the room to the garbage can. "People are always telling us that we need help-" ("I wonder why…" Ryou mutters sarcastically.) "-but what about our yami's?"

"Malik, anyone we would send our yami's to for psychology would later need psychology sessions themselves." Yugi notes.

"What if I get Ishizu to be their psychologist?" Malik asks. "She's been wanting to talk to the yami's for a while now anyway. I think she's trying to keep a record of all the stuff they do and wants to make sure they're mentally stable."

"Well that's smart." Tama comments. "That way, if they go out to torment Domino then we'll know who does- what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ryou groans. "Please don't give them any more idea's. They get enough from you two as it is."

"I kinda like the psychology thing." Yugi comments. "It would give our yami's something to do at any rate."

Malik grins. "I'll talk to Ishizu then."

"No threats." Tama warns like usual. "And no blackmail."

"Fine."

"Psychology?" Yume asks, sitting in between Marik and Bakura. "The Lights brought us here for psychology?"

Ishizu sighs. "Yes. And before you say anything, I just want to tell you that this was all Malik's idea."

"I heard that!" Malik yells from a room or two down.

"I know why they are here," Yami says, trying to move further away from the other three. "but why am I here?"

Yume snorts. "Why do you think you're here, baka. You're just as psychotic as we are."

"I resent that!"

Ishizu sighs as the two cousins begin arguing.  _'This might take a while.'_

Later

"Alrught Marik, you're going to do an ink blot test. I'm going to hold up a piece of paper with ink on it, and you tell me what it looks like." Ishizu says.

Marik nods, comfortably relaxing on the couch by himself.

The first few papers were relatively normal. ("The inside of our microwave." "Bread as Malik's stuck it in the toaster." "An apple.") But then Ishizu holds up the last one.

"Yami being decapitated with blood flying everywhere." Marik says boredly.

Ishizu frowns and flips the paper over. "Sure… go out and send someone in."

Marik grins, gets up, and walks over to the door and opens it. "Hey Tomb Robber! Stop flirting with my cousin and get in here!"

Ishizu sweat drops as she's shuffling the ink blots.

Marik disappears into the living room and seconds later Bakura comes in with a scowl on his face. "This is stupid." He comments.

"You can thank Malik later. Now, I'm hoping you know what an ink blot test is…"

Bakura's test goes relatively well as well. ("A steak.", "A large cat.", "Marik's hikari's toast.") And then comes the last one.

Bakura smirks. "Yami being decapitated with blood flying everywhere."

Again, Ishizu frowns and flips the ink blot over to look at it. "…" She sighs. "Fine. Send Yume in."

Yume's came out normal as well… ("A cat.", "The inside of your microwave.", "A rose.") And then he last one again.

Yume blinks and looks at the ink blot for a moment. "It looks like Yami being decapitated with blood flying everywhere."

For the third time, Ishizu flips the ink blot over and studies it. "Send Yami in…"

Now, you'd think that with Yami it'd be a little different. But for the forth time…

"Ishizu, why does that look like me being decapitated?"

This time Ishizu throws the ink blots into the air in exasperation. Yami quickly leaves the room to escape the Egyptian's temper.

Domino High- last period- homeroom

Tea stands at the front of the class trying to get everyone's attention. In the back of the classroom Yugi, Ryou, Malik, Tama, and Joey have pulled five desks together and are happily talking. Over on the other side of the room Duke sits performing dice tricks for a bunch of girls around him, and sitting by himself is Tristan, who's working on homework for once.

"May I have everyone's attention?" Tea asks. "Excuse me!"

Tama looks up at this time and notices Tea trying to get everyone's attention. With a sigh, she brings two fingers up to her mouth and lets out a loud whistle.

Everyone else turns and stares at the tri-color haired girl, who blushes almost immediately.

"What?" She defensively asks. "Tea's been trying to get our attention for a while so I decided to help her."

Tea gives Tama a thankful look before addressing the class. "As you know, we are getting closer to the last day of school. Earlier in the year we wanted to have a party of some kind. I brought it up at the meeting and everyone thought it was a good idea. Now, I know it was just suppose to be for our homeroom, but since the rest of the tenth grade representatives and the teachers liked it, it's going to be for all of the tenth grade homerooms." Tea continues on to explain when and where the end-of-school party will take place.

By the time homeroom is over, Tama, Yugi, Joey, Ryou, Duke, and Malik are part of the group of ten from their homeroom to help decorate, set-up, and plan.

Tama groans as she collapses on the couch. "Who's bloody brilliant idea was it to get started on the party  _today_? It's only Tuesday."

"Tea, most likely." Ryou replies, sitting down in the recliner.

Tama lifts her head up and looks around suspiciously. "It's  _way_ too quiet."

"Bakura and Yume are at the Ishtar's, remember?" Ryou says. "So we at least have five minutes or so of peace."

-RRRRIIIIIINNNNNNGGGG!-

"So, much for five minutes of peace…" Tama says dryly, stretching in order to reach the phone. Before the third ring she manages to pick it up. "'lo, Bakura residence." She quickly holds it away from her ear, guessing who it is.

"Tama! These yami's are driving me nuts!" Malik yells. "Do you know what they've done in the short period of ten minutes that I've been home! Oh, and here's a good one- they're in spirit mode!"

"Malik dear, you're yelling loud enough for Ryou to hear you across the room." Tama replies, yawning. "Look, if they're causing that much destruction then just send Yume and Bakura home."

"Ishizu refuses to send them home without supervision. Do you know what they-"

"Malik," Tama says, cutting her cousin off. "I'm well aware of the destruction they can cause. I've seen it first hand, first with Yume and Marik and now with those two and Bakura. Or have you forgotten that I live with Bakura and Yume."

"Please come get those two. They've already helped Marik destroy my neighbors flowers and torment another one's dog." Malik begs.

"I'm surprised your not helping them." Tama can't help but comment.

There's silence on Malik's end for a moment.

"Well, I wanted to, but Ishizu threatened me."

Tama sighs. "Alright, Ryou and I will come get them… eventually."

"Can't move? You must be getting old, Tama."

"Have fun." Tama replies, before hanging up the phone.

"What have they done now?" Ryou asks.

Tama grins. "Nothing much. Tormented a neighbors dog and destroyed another neighbors flowers. Nothing on a major scale. Anyway, Ishizu made Malik call to get us over there and get Bakura and Yume. I told him we'll go get them once we can move again."

Ryou sighs. "You do realize we should go get them soon, right?"

"I know, I'm just gonna let Malik sweat a bit." Tama says, a grin on her face. "We can start heading over there."

Ryou laughs as he stands up. "Yes, I can imagine Ishizu chasing them around with a broom or something."

Tama shakes her head before standing up. "Or something. One of Malik's daggers works better. You'd be amazed at how many of those things he has."

Ryou sweat drops. "I don't want to know."

"True." Tama responds with a nod.

Friday afternoon

"Sit down!" Ishizu yells at the four stubborn, argumentive darks. "Shut up and sit down! I don't care who or what you are or were in the past, if you don't sit down and shut up-!"

"Which one first?" Marik 'innocently' asks. "Do you want us to sit down or shut up first?"

"Both!" Ishizu all but screams, on the verge of tugging her hair out.  _'I feel like I'm baby-sitting four little kids! Make that four little kids with strange powers, memory loss, a fascination for sharp and pointy objects and gold things, and almost a complete disregard for rules of any kind!'_  Ishizu glares at the three- THREE! _'Oh hell, I'm screwed…'_  "MARIKU ISHTAR!"

Yume, Bakura, and Yami wince from the loud yell, two of them hoping Marik's plan works, and one cursing Marik for doing something else to get them in trouble.

Marik snickers as he walks into the kitchen, looking for something that makes a loud noise. His gaze falls on the blender and he smirks. "This has possibilities."

Less than five minutes later, Ishizu runs into the kitchen to see the blender going full blast, spewing it's contents everywhere. Marik, of course, is no where to be seen.

Twenty minutes later Ishizu storms back into her room to see all of the yami's missing. As soon as her brain registers that they're gone, the phone rings.

"Hello?" Ishizu asks, paling when she recognizes one of her neighbors voices. "My brother and his friends did WHAT! Don't worry, I'll get them." Fire alight in her dark sapphire eyes, Ishizu slams the phone down and goes off in search of her brother's Dark and the other three.

0-0-0-0

Several hours later Malik, Ryou, Tama, and Yugi walk up the driveway and into the house. None of them are surprised to see their Darks being yelled at by Ishizu. (Yume, Bakura, and Marik because they had caused the trouble, and Yami because he had done nothing to stop them.) What they are surprised to see are the numerous, half filled cardboard boxes.

"Ishizu, what's going on?" Malik asks, stepping around on of the boxes.

Ishizu doesn't look away from the yami's as she answers her brother, determined to not let the troublemakers out of her sight again. "Thanks to your yami's," she says, glaring at said yami's. "we have been evicted."

Malik, who had picked up a breakable object from one of the boxes, drops the object. It falls on the floor and shatters, but Malik pays no mind. "E-evicted!"

Tama glares at Yume, who looks defiantly back. Ryou looks down at the floor, while Bakura just smirks. And Yugi looks disapprovingly at Yami, who looks sadly at the ground.

"Yes, evicted. Now I have to find an apartment for us to stay in that's within our budget." Ishizu says.

"I thought you guys couldn't find one in your price range before." Tama comments.

Yume smirks at Malik. "I hear gold is really valuable these days, Malik. Why don't you sell some of that jewelry?"

Malik backs away from Yume, his right eye twitching. "NEVER!" He screams before dashing off to his room.

"That's why." Ishizu, Marik, and Tama all say.

"I-I have an idea." Ryou shyly says. "You guys can stay at my house until you find a new place."

Tama looks at Ryou in surprise, along with everyone else. "Ryou, you do realize that having three yami's in the house is a bad thing, right?"

"What's the worst that could happen? They're just spirits." Ryou asks.

"Several things come to mind." Tama replies.

Marik laughs and runs forward to hug Ryou tightly. "Silver-pretty's so nice! Mariku be good, he really will!"

"Umm, Marik," Ishizu says, taking a step forward. "Ryou can't breath."

Marik mutters, "Knew I forgot something…" as he releases Ryou from his bone-crushing hug. He grins suddenly. "Ooo! Mariku go tell hikari-pretty!"

Yami almost falls over at the ever-excitable Marik plows right past him. Yume, deciding to be nice to her cousin for once, catches him before he does fall over. (which is why Yami  _almost_ fell over) Bakura, being the most evil of the group, pushes both Yami and Yume over. Within seconds, Yume is back up on her feet and is arguing with Bakura.

Everyone else sweat drops and Tama can't help but comment, "This is one of the several things that come to mind."

The Next Day- Saturday Morning

"Malik! Let go of the Ra-dammed couch!" Tama growls, trying to drag Malik away from the couch and out of the house by his feet.

"I don't want to!" Malik cries, holding tightly onto the couch. "We've been through so much together!"

Tama drops Malik's feet and looks at her cousin in exasperation. With a sigh, she turns to the people buying the house and bows. "Please excuse my cousin, he has mental issues that he seriously needs to get worked out." She says apologetically. "Now move Malik, you fat lump of lard!"

/'Bribing works.'/ Marik mentions.

Tama sighs. "Malik, Ryou has a nice soft, bouncy couch at home that you can hug." Remembering what is now known as 'the cup holder incident', Tama decides to mention it. "And it has a cup holder now."

"But it's not the same!" Malik cries.

_'Time to pull out the big guns…'_  "I'll cook dinner for a week."

"You do that anyway." Malik replies, curling up on the couch.

"Fine. Ice cream and fruit smoothies for a week."

Malik considers this. "Two weeks or no deal." He finally says.

Tama nods. "Alright, two weeks."

Malik happily hops off the couch. "Okay, lets go!" He says, grabbing his bag and pulling the keys from his pocket. "I'm driving!"

"Hell no!" Tama protests. "Let me drive for once!"

"It's my bike!"

"I'm paying for your ice cream and fruit smoothies for two weeks!"

The two Lights continue their friendly bickering as they walk out the door, leaving two bewildered new owners. It doesn't help that as they're walking out, Malik can't resist making a quick comment that goes something like, "I wonder when they'll find out about the bodies buried in the backyard?"

0-0-0-0

"Honey, I'm home!" Tama jokingly calls, stepping into Ryou's house with Malik.

"DIIIIIEEEEEE!"

Malik and Tama step to the side as Yume and Bakura run though the hallway and out the door, Yume holding Tama's old baseball bat over her head, poised to strike.

Sweatdropping, the two Lights walk down the hall and turn left into the kitchen.

"Marik, are you cooking?" Malik asks, dropping his bag at the sight of his yami in a apron.

Marik turns around and squeals. "Hikari-pretty!"

Tama steps to the side, giggling as she watches Marik scoop Malik up into a fierce hug.

"M-marik!" Malik chokes out. "C-can't breath!"

Marik releases his hikari, apologizing as he does so.

"Marik, the stove!" Ryou shouts, running into the room.

What follows can only be described as complete and total chaos. It takes all four of them ten minutes just to get the fire out and then they have to spend the next 45 minutes cleaning up the kitchen.

' _Mental note number one,'_ Tama thinks to herself later that night.  _'Never let Marik cook.'_


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: Support Group?_

"Those two are driving me bloody insane!" Tama exclaims, her British accent more pronounced than usual.

"Which two?" Yugi asks, sitting down with his lunch.

Tama, Ryou, and Malik all point at the two necklace-like Millennium items laying on the ground.

"They kept us up all night with their bickering." Malik yawns. "And Marik wasn't helping."

"Man, you guys got a lot of problems with dem yami's." Joey comments, sitting down across from Ryou. (Shiro: I know I didn't mention this, so I'll put it here: the group is sitting in a circle for this lunch.) "You guys need one of dem support group thingys."

Tama's lilac eyes light up. "Joey, you're a genius!" She exclaims, kissing the blonde on the cheek.

Joey blushes.

"We can have a Light Support Group! It's perfect!" Tama continues excitedly. "We can use the mind link so that our yami's can't overhear us!"

"Mind link?" Joey questions. "Is dat some sort of Light thing?"

All of the hikari's stop and thing about the question.

"We've never really tried to include anyone else…" Ryou says. "We could see if there's a way to include you."

Yugi nods. "We should at least try."

-(Back to the ol' mind link, ne?)- Tama comments.

-/Now's not the time to be cracking jokes./- Malik says.

-(You're right, I'd better wait until we get Joey here.)-

Yugi and Ryou sweat drop.

-'Have you two switched brains or something?'- Ryou asks.

-(Hmm… I wonder if that's possible.)- Tama murmurs thoughtfully. -(Maybe we can ask-)-

' _NO!'_  Comes the overwhelming reply.

-(I'm joking! Jeez.)-

-)Shouldn't we be trying to get Joey in here?(- Yugi asks.

-/Can't we say we tried but it didn't work/- Malik hopefully asks.

-(Play nice, Malik.)-

-/What/- Malik almost snaps. -/Have you not noticed how he still avoids me! It's my yami who you have to watch out for/-

The other three ignore the blonde Light.

-'So, how are we going to do this?'- Ryou asks curiously.

-)I don't know. Maybe we should just try to contact him like we did with each other.(- Yugi says uncertainly.

Malik sighs heavily. -/Have your Dark's taught you nothing about your powers/- He asks.

-(Malik, might I remind you that half our yami's don't remember their past. Exactly how would they be able to teach us?)-

-/The use of shadow powers are instinctive to our Darks./- Malik replies. -/Look, just focus on Joey and try to reach him. Tama, you and I will throw out our powers and try to get a link started. Yugi, Ryou, don't try to contact us until we talk directly to you. Understand/- Malik asks.

'Yes.' Yugi and Ryou reply. The three boys then wait for Tama's reply.

-(Throw out our powers? Malik, what they hell are you talking about?)-

-/Remember what Marik taught us/-

-(Has Marik ever taught us anything? And I mean besides how to think up completely ridiculous plans on how to take over the world.)-

-/Swodahs tcetorp eht thgil./-

Understanding dawns on Tama's face. -(Swodah tcetorp eht thgil.)- She repeats.

Yugi and Ryou exchange puzzled looks.

Joey sighs. "Ya know, if ya guys cant get dis mink link thing up I don't mind."

Tama smiles at Joey. "Hang on Joey, we think we know how to do this." Her and Malik both close their eyes, whispering something under their breath. Meanwhile, Yugi and Ryou work on trying to talk to Joey.

2 minutes later…

-)…-ey? Joey, can you hear me?(- Yugi asks.

-Yug'? Man, dis is weird.-

-'But at least it worked.'- Ryou comments.

-(It was hard though…)- Tama tiredly speaks up. -(I feel like I did the first time Marik decided to teach me and Malik how to summon protective shadows.)-

-/It is basically the same thing./- Malik comments, sounding just as exhausted as Tama does. -/Except this is more controlled. We basically had to bend a small portion of shadow magic together to create a link between all of us and Joey. We didn't have to do this before, because, as Lights, we all already have a strong bond./-

-(That's slightly disturbing.)-

-/Shut up, Tama./-

-(You do realize I'm not really  _talking_.)-

Yugi and Ryou sigh and Joey listens, growing more confused as Malik and Tama continue fussing.

-'Tama, you're off subject.'- Ryou comments. -'We were talking about the 'Light Support Group' idea, remember?'-

-(I remember, but what do we have to discuss anyway?)-

-Shouldn't ya set up times to hold da meetin'? Or make up guidelines or figure out what ta talk about?- Joey suggests.

-(Man Joey, what'd you do? Forget to eat your stupid pills this morning?)- Tama jokingly asks.

-Forget ta eat your crazy pills dis mornin'?- Joey shoots back, also jokingly.

-)Getting back on subject,(- Yugi says. -)We should have a scheduled meeting at least every Saturday.(-

-/We need emergency meeting regulations./- Malik adds.

-'And a course of discussion, which is basically what Joey suggested.'- Ryou says.

And so, for the rest of lunch, the hikari's plus Joey continue to set up their Light Support Group, adding a few activities (such as Shadow Bending) to do instead of just talking. By the time lunch ends, they agree to include Joey in on their meetings, despite him not being a true hikari. (Tama had suggested that they let Joey be their first and only honorary Light. The others agreed.)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Nothing exciting happens for the rest of the school day unless you count going back to the gym to decorate. For once, Tama is lucky and partially gets out of decorating. Instead of being shut up in the hot, stuffy gym, she gets to walk to the nearest dollar store to get more crepe paper and balloons.

Tama glares at the innocent looking dollar store bag.  _'How in the name of Ra did I get into this? I'm not good at decorating!'_

"Leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you guys!"

Tama curiously looks up, recognizing the voice, and then frowns when she sees three teenage boys picking on a smaller very familiar looking boy. Tama walks quickly into the park area, setting the bag down by a large tree. Then she pulls off her school jacket and ties it around her waist with one hand, while the other loosens her tie.

Stepping out from behind the tree, she glares as darkly as she can at the boys, which is surprisingly dark for a Light. "Well now, what do we have here?" Tama asks, startling all the boys.

"Tama!" The young black haired boy cries.

Tama nods at the boy. "Hey Mokuba, looks like you're in a bit of a fix there." She redirects her gaze to the five boys surrounding him and the glare returns, full force. "You lot, bug off. It's dishonorable to pick on those smaller than you."

"Who are you to tell us what to do!" Boy #1 growls. "Get her boys."

Tama sighs. " I so hoped I wouldn't have to resort to violence. Oh well, too bad for you- morons!" She says, ducking a punch to her head. "Bring it!" She yells, before punching the nearest one in the face.

Mokuba winces when he hears the crack of bones, knowing that the boys nose is most likely broken. Then he cringes when Tama flips one of the guys over her shoulder, twisting Boy #3's arm. Right after this, Mokuba notices the last two guys ganging up on her, one in front of her and the other behind her. "Tama, look out!" He yells.

Tama yelps as the boy behind her (Boy #4) swings his leg into the back of her knees. She hisses in pain when her knees and legs forcefully hit the ground. Her glare turns darker, if possibly, and then her lilac eyes turn bright gold as she speaks in a strong, calm voice not of her own.  **"Thgil raeh ruo nehw ehs nac ton."**

Mokuba has to shield his eyes when a bright light fills the small area. He wait's a minute before hesitantly opening his eyes. He cries out when he sees a pair of golden eyes right in front of his face.

" **Relax young one."** 'Tama' says.

Mokuba shies away from her. "Y-you're not T-tama." He stutters.

She chuckles. **"You are a wise one indeed. Defiantly the mark of the younger brother of the Dragon Master. I have merely borrowed the Dragon Guardian's body to protect her. I daresay her lovely Dark isn't too happy about this."**

Mokuba takes a deep, calming breath and slowly lets it out. "So who- or what- are you?"

" **I am a mere light of what I used to be. This is the only way I am able to interact in this realm without a full summon."** She explains. **"I am the one known as the Dragon of Chaotic Light."**

"Dragon of Chaotic Light…" Mokuba repeats. "But if you're talking to me, where's Tama?"

" **Safe in her soul room. My forced possession has her locked in there for a short period of time."** Light replies easily.

' _Which is quite mean.'_ Tama grumbles.  _'At least I don't have to hear Yume's whining like you do though…'_

**_/././I can always make that happen, young Guardian./././_** Light reminds her.

' _But that would be mean. Now pay attention to Mokuba before he thinks-'_  Tama cuts herself off when she feels a tug at her soul.  _'On second thought, let me out.'_

**_/././As you wish, little Guardian./././_**  Light replies, closer her eyes.

Tama's stomach does a summersault as she feels herself forcefully given control back. _'Whoa. Now that was the weirdest thing I've ever felt.'_ She opens her eyes to see Mokuba's hand waving in front of her face. "Hey Mokuba, miss me?"

"Not much," Mokuba jokes, finally relaxing when he finds out Tama's back in control.

Tama sighs. "So cruel… Well, I've gotta get back to school before-"

"TAMA!"

-THUD-

Tama glares at the spiky, blonde haired boy clinging to her. "Before my idiot blonde cousin spends nearly all of the rest of his energy to send his psycho yami to find me. Get off Marik."

"Mariku found little-Light and Mariku no let go. Hikari-pretty's orders."

"Since when do you listen to Malik…?" Tama grumbles under her breath. "At least let me up. You're heavy. You eat too much."

Marik frowns. "I do not! Hikari-pretty's the one who eats too much." His frown deepens. "Are you calling me fat?"

"If you want to be technical, she's calling Malik fat." Yume states, fading in beside Tama.

Mokuba jumps, obviously startled. "W-who-?"

"Yume," The spirit says, no shock registering on her face at Mokuba being able to see her. "Tama's Dark, yami, or whatever you want to call me." Then she turns back to Marik. "Now get off my hikari. Oh, and I care nothing about what Malik told you; I'm more dangerous than he is."

Marik sighs and reluctantly lets go of Tama's waist. "You ruin all my fun, Yume."

Yume rolls her violet eyes. "Well somebody has to."

Tama carefully sneaks away from the two now-bickering yami's and over to Mokuba. "C'mon Mokuba, I'll walk you home."

Mokuba nods, slightly hesitantly. "But what about them?"

"They'll be fine." Tama replies. "Now, where do you like, 'cause I've got no clue."

Mokuba smiles and gives her the address, hoping Seto won't mind too much.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama stares up at Mokuba and Seto's house, mouth agape. "Sugoi…" She whispers breathlessly. "You and Seto live  _here_?"

Mokuba nods, quickly punching in the password to open the gate. Then he steps back as the gate opens enough to let he and Tama pass through. Turning to Tama he asks, "Do you wanna come in, Tama? We still haven't fully discussed the job thing with Seto yet. He should be coming home soon."

Tama weighs her options.  _'Go back to school and get tortured for the rest of the night and get yelled at for ditching Marik and not get a job, or go inside with Mokuba, discuss the idea, and get yelled at later… Go inside it is!'_  She smiles at Mokuba. "I'd love to come in!"

Mokuba laughs. "Alright, come on. We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us."

Tama nods before resuming looking in awe at the large BEWD fountain futher toward the house. "Sugoi…"

Mokuba holds back a laugh at his friend's reaction to seeing where he lives.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"This is so cool, Mokuba. You've got an awesome room." Tama says, still looking around in awe. "I'm guessing the dragon posters are Seto's influence."

Mokuba nods as he drops his book bag onto his bed.

"Man, this is bigger than Ryou's living room! Too cool!"

Mokuba shifts uncomfortable, catching Tama's attention. "Hey Tama?"

Tama sheepishly smiles. "Sorry, I haven't been in a big house for a long time. I'm impressed this place is so clean with two guys living here."

"You should see Seto's room; then you might change your mind."

Tama laughs at this, the image of the always cold, blue-eyed brunette having a messy room a little too much for her.

"Tama, can you cook me a snack, pleeeeaaaassse?" Mokuba begs, using his own lethal form of the infamous puppy-eyes. "I know you're a good cook because when I went to the shop you were cooking something the first time we met."

Tama raises an eyebrow. "That doesn't mean I'm a good cook."

"Please Tama?" He begs one last time.

"Alright," Tama caves in. "but only because you're so sweet and asked politely."

Mokuba cheers before practically dragging the tri-color haired girl down to the kitchen, talking excitably the whole way.

"Seto fired out last chef because he put too much seasoning in our soup- one of the seasonings he had an allergic reaction to…" Mokuba continues until the reach the kitchen, much to Tama's amusement.

"Any preferences for dinner, Mokuba?" Tama asks, pulling the apron off the stove and putting it on. Mokuba hops up onto a stool. "Nope! But you don't have to make dinner, you know."

"Mokuba, it's six o'clock, you got me out of the stupid decoration committee and almost got beat up in the park. I'm making dinner for you and Seto and you're going to make dessert." Tama replies. "Now, do you have any idea as to where anything is in the kitchen?"

"I know where glasses, plates, and silverware are, but not much else." Mokuba admits. "What dessert am I making?"

Tama sweat drops when she opens a cabinet to see that it's packed full. She smiles when she spots a box of chocolate cake mix.  _'Bingo.'_ She thinks, pulling herself up onto the counter just to reach the box. She jumps down once she retrieves it and sets the box down in front of Mokuba. "You're making chocolate cake."

"That's one of Seto's favorites." Mokuba remarks.

' _I know…'_  "Is it?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Tadaima!" Tama yells, stepping into the house.

Like clockwork, a crash and a few yells sound from the living room and a tired looking Ryou steps into the hallway.

"Okaeri-nasai." The white-haired boy manages to say before Tama's practically tackled by two certain lilac-haired boys.

"Malik! Marik! Get off Tama now!" Ishizu yells, walking out of the living room.

Malik and Marik ignore Ishizu and start questioning Tama about where she's been and why she abandoned them.

Tama sweat drops for the second time this evening. "Guys!" She yells. "Urusai!"

Malik and Marik instantly shut up.

"Relax, I was just helping out Mokuba with something and finalized my job with Seto." She holds up a hand, signaling for them to stay quiet. "Mokuba was having a bit of a bully problem in the park, so I helped him out. I did stay over there for longer than I planned though…"

Yume pokes her now-ghostly head into the hallway. "Tell Ishizu about the weird dragon possession thing that locked both of us in our soul rooms. She won't believe me!"

Tama frowns. "Yeah, that was weird… why'd that happen? And why did she call me 'little Guardian'?" She looks at Yume in confusion.

"I think she was referring to one of my roles in the past, but I don't remember." Yume replies.

Ishizu frowns. "So this dragon possessed you?" She asks. "Why?"

"I did hit a little trouble when I was fighting the bullies…"Yama murmurs. "The weirdest thing is that she said she's the Dragon of Chaotic Light." She says, yawning suddenly.

"That's enough for tonight." Ishizu says. "You all have school in the morning, so go on to bed."

Everyone says their goodnights and then head off to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Tama's Job

"I told you already!" Tama yells. "I'm not- let me repeat- not telling you what my job is! You'll have to wait and find out!"

For the past three days everyone has been bugging Tama about her job, whether it be bluntly (Joey and Malik) or subtly (Ryou and Ishizu). By now, Tama's completely fed up with it.

"Please tell us." Joey begs. "Pleeeaaaase?"

"Puppy eyes don't work on me, Joey." Tama says tersely, shutting her locker. She turns around and practically runs over Malik. "I said NO, Malik!" She yells.

"Oh, come on Tama, have a heart!" Malik begs. "I'm your cousin!"

Tama raises an eyebrow. "And that's suppose to change my mind? Yugi, Ishizu, and Odion are my cousins too and I haven't told them either."

"Pleeeeaaaase?" Malik and Joey beg in unison.

"Don't make me get Yume out here." Tama threatens. "Now get out of my way. Both of you." She growls.

"Ple-"

Tama pushes right past them, grumbling about the two of them not knowing subtlety if it were to smack them right in the face.

"Hey Tama-!"

Tama whirls around, lilac eyes furious. "I'm not telling you, Joey! For the last time-  _I am not telling you_!" She turns back around after this, ignoring everyone's stares, and stomps off to her next class.

Joey and Malik both sweat drop and Marik laughs at his hikari from within his soul room.

"I'd wait until lunch to tell her." Malik says.

As if just realizing who he's with in the hall, Joey edges away from Malik. "Gotta get ta class! Lata'!" He yells before running down the hall to his class.

Malik rolls his eyes and grumbles something about Joey being an idiot before heading off to his own class.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Scary movie-thon night at Bakura's!" Joey yells, excitably waving his favorite scary movie. "Dis'll be da best ever!"

Serenity sighs, worried for her brother's sanity. "Calm down, Joey. It's just a scary movie night." Oh how she'll regret saying those words…

"Dat we only have once every otha' month!" Joey exclaims. "Dis is my favorite night of all, ya know!"

"I know, Joey." Serenity says, decided to change the subject. "Are we almost there, big brother?"

"Right up dere," Joey replies, pointing to the blue-gray house with what looks like different colored paint splattered all over it. "Dey musta had a paintball gun fight or somethin'."

Serenity looks over the house and spots a large spot of paint on the roof. "Why's there paint on the roof?" She asks.

"Eh?" Joey eyes the splotch. "Dat must be da place where Tama and Ba- Ryou dumped a bucket of blue paint on Malik." He says, almost forgetting that they now call Ryou by his first name instead of his last. "Man, I hope Tama cooked! I'm starved!" Joey exclaims as they across the lawn and go up to the front door.

Serenity giggles at her older brother and Joey smiles at her as he opens the door.

"Hey guys!" Joey yells. "We're here!"

"'We'?" Tama questions, appearing in the kitchen doorway. "Oh Serenity! Joey, you didn't tell me 'Ren was coming!"

"That's because whenever Joey tried to tell you, you shouted 'la la la, I can't hear you' at the top of your lungs." Malik yells from the living room.

Tama blushes. "Oh yeah… sorry 'bout that, Joey."

"Hey, what about me!" Malik asks.

"You deserve it!" Tama yells, glaring at her Egyptian cousin, before turning back around and smiling at Joey and Serenity. "You guys can go on into the living room. Ryou and I are just finishing up dinner." She says before disappearing back into the kitchen.

"'kay. C'mon Serenity." Joey says, tugging her arm.

In the living room everyone else has already gathered. Malik has taken over the couch, claiming it for himself, Tama, Ryou, and Yugi, but mainly for himself. Yugi has resigned to sitting on the arm of the couch for now. On the floor Tea and Tristan are holding a mock-duel, with a bored looking Duke watching them.

Duke's boredom immediately dissipates when he sees Serenity. His jade eyes light up and he leaps to his feet and strides over to Serenity. Taking her hands in his own he says, "From Hell to Heaven, you're a sight for sore ey- OW!"

Unbeknownst to Duke, Tama had snuck him so she could smack him in the head. "I knew I shouldn't have introduced you to the show Inuyasha. I should have known…" She sighs. "Dinners ready, but a warning to all: Ishizu will have your heads if a plate shall."

Malik lazily stretches. "Where is, sis? I've forgotten already."

"Working tonight." Tama replies. "Now come get your food. Oh, and while Ishizu'll have your head, I'll kick your ass if you so much as dare break one of the plates or glasses or make a big mess." She cheerfully grins after saying this and then skips back to the kitchen.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Man I love dis!" Joey exclaims. "Chips, salsa, cookies, ham cheese, turkey, and- Hey Tama, what's with all da veggies?"

Tama sets down a second plate of veggies and dip. "Malik's a vegetarian. I've tried to make him eat meat, but that didn't turn out too well."

Malik casually plucks a broccoli off one plate and dips it in ranch dressing. "That's what you get for forgetting which Millennium Item I hold and trying to get me to do something I don't want to do." He eats the broccoli before continuing. "Hey Tama, what's your job."

A glare is all the blonde Egyptian receives.

"You have a job, Tama?" Serenity asks.

"I do. And the next person to ask me what my job is will be pounded, you understand?" Tama growls, her hand clenching into a fist.

Joey and Malik gulp and inch away from Tama.

"What movie are we watching first?" Ryou asks, sitting down on the couch.

"The Ring/Resident Evil/Scary Movie 3!" Joey, Duke, and Malik yell at the same time.

"Scary Movie 3 ain't scary, Malik!"

"So what, it's a good way to start!"

"No it ain't!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it-"

"Shut up, we're watching Freddy verses Jason first!" Tama yells, sticking the movie into the VCR.

"One thing to do first!" Yugi yells. "Tama, we've been going nuts here; won't you please just tell us what your job is?"

Tama throws her hands up in exasperation. "Fine! I'm an assistant to Mokuba, okay?"

"What do you do?" Joey prods.

"Assistant things." Tama grumpily replies, hitting the play button. "Tea, can you get the lights?"

Tea nods. "Sure."

The Lights soon all claim the couch, with Joey squished in there beside Yugi. Serenity and Tea are sitting n the smaller, two-cushioned couch. This leaves Duke and Tristan with no place to sit except on the floor.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The doorbell rings.

"AHHHHHHH!"

-THUNK-

"Man, that had to hurt." Tama snickers, before attempting to pry Ryou's fingers off her arm. "Ryou, can you let go? I think my arm is numb."

"Some pause the movie!" Malik yells.

Tama manages to pry her arm from Ryou's grip. "Do it yourself Malik, I'm answering the door." She stands up and walks out of the living room, ignoring the loud 'thuds' as Malik scrambles over to the VCR, nearly plowing Duke and Tristan over.

She steps lightly down the hall until she reaches the door. Rolling her eyes when she hears everyone teasing Joey, Tama opens the door and is surprised to see a teary-eyed Mokuba standing there. "Mokuba?" She questions.

Mokuba sniffs, trying his hardest not to cry.

"Mokuba, what's wrong?" Tama asks, concerned. She frowns when he doesn't replies. "Nevermind… come in. I'll make you some hot chocolate."

Watery blue-gray eyes remain focused on the floor as Mokuba nods and steps into the hall. He slowly follows Tama down the hall and into the kitchen, where he sits down on a stool while Tama rushes around the kitchen making him hot chocolate.

"Tama, hurry up! I want to finish the movie!" Malik yells.

Tama rolls her eyes and sets the cup of hot chocolate, topped with cool whip and M&M's, down on the counter in front of Mokuba. "So, I take it you're not going to tell me what's wrong?"

Mokuba shakes his head 'no', not trusting himself to speak.

"I can't help you if you won't talk to me." Tama gently prods. "Did you lose some of Seto's hidden Blue-Eyes White Dragon plushies?"

Mokuba sniffs, looking determinedly at the shiny countertop.

Tama sighs. "It has something to do with Seto, doesn't it." She states, frowning. "He didn't yell at you, did he?"

The dam finally breaks and Mokuba begins crying, launching forward to cry into Tama's red t-shirt. Tama soothingly runs her fingers through Mokuba's jet black hair, humming a calming song to him.

Ten minutes later Tama manages to calm Mokuba down to the point he's no longer crying. She gently pushes the cup closer to the black-haired boy and convinces him to take it.

"TAMA!" Malik yells.

Mokuba hiccups, a smile fighting its way onto his face. "W-what's Malik y-yelling about?" He quietly asks.

"Well, today's their 'once-every-other-month-scary-movie-thon-night'." Tama explains, casting a glance in the direction of the living room. "We stopped the movie when you rang the doorbell 'cause Joey freaked out."

Mokuba giggles, already cheering up. "What are you watching?"

"Scary Movie 3." Tama replies with a sigh, wondering how Joey can freak out watching that movie after telling Malik that it's not scary. "Care to join us for the night, Mokuba?"

Mokuba thinks about it for a minutes before nodding. "'kay."

"TA-!"

"URUSAI!" Tama roars, interrupting her cousin. She smiles down at Mokuba. "We'd better get in there before Malik throws a fit."

Mokuba laughs at this, agreeing with her.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Do you think it'll work?" Tama whispers to Serenity.

Serenity shrugs. "I really don't know, Tama. Won't Joey be angry though?"

"I dunno. I mean, I know Joey doesn't really like him because of his attitude, but if this works… well, it wouldn't be so much as a problem." Tama replies.

"And what are we going to do about Yugi and Yami?" Serenity suddenly asks, changing the subject.

"Whaddya mean, 'Ren?"

Serenity giggles. "You mean you haven't noticed? And here I thought Joey was the slow one when it comes to stuff like this."

"Actually, that would be Tristan." Tama corrects. "But anyway, what are you talking about?"

"I can't believe you haven't noticed." Mokuba yawns, sleepily opening his eyes. "I bet that it's only you, Yugi, and Yami who haven't noticed."

Tama frowns. "Mokuba, how long have you been listening?" She asks.

"About the time you started talking about Yugi and Yami. Why?" Mokuba asks.

"No reason." Tama replies. "Now, will one of you please tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

"Yami and Yugi like each other." Serenity says.

Tama stares at the brunette like she's insane. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember when Yami, Marik, Bakura, and Yume came out earlier?" Serenity asks.

"How could I forget? Bakura broke my dragon figurine! (No respect at all!)" Tama replies. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Remember the card game we were playing? Yugi and Yami were sitting right next to one another and every time their hands touched they would blush and look away from one another." Serenity says.

Mokuba nods. "Yeah, they did."

"You two are nuts." Tama states. "I'm going to sleep, g'night." She says, laying down on her back.

"'Night." Mokuba says, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight."

Tama sighs and closes her eyes.  _'It can't be true. Can it?'_


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: The Contest_

Tama, Ryou, Yugi, and Mokuba look at Malik like he's insane. Oh wait, he  _is_  insane.

"What do you mean you entered a contest?" Tama asks.

"I entered a contest, that's all. It's not a big deal, Tama." Malik replies.

Summer has finally begun. The end-of-school party has come and gone already. Tea's off to dance camp, Tristan has to work everyday, Duke has his game shop to run, Yugi's been giving his grandfather a hand at the game shop, and Tama has been carrying out her duties as Mokuba's assistant.

This leaves a bored Malik. And a bored Malik is just as bad as a bored Marik or a bored Bakura. So maybe it's a good thing Malik has found a contest to do.

_The same day… later_

"Hey guy's, you'll neva' believe it!" Joey yells, running into the small game shop where Tama and Yugi are at. "I found dis cool contest I'm gonna do! And da first prize is a week at a beach house! Ain't dat cool?"

"A contest?" Yugi asks, arranging the last board game on the shelf before turning to face Tama. "Tama, get off the counter."

Tama sighs and slips off the counter, her ponytails bouncing gently as she does so. "You're no fun, Yugi." She says before turning to face Joey. "I'm glad you found something to do, Joey."

"Thanks Tama." Joey says appreciatively. "I'm gonna go tell da otha's now. Later."

A thought hits Tama as soon as Joey walks out the door. "Hey Yugi, doesn't that contest sound familiar?" She asks, hopping back up onto the counter.

Yugi shrugs and then hangs up a few boxes of playing cards. "I guess so. Why?"

Tama frowns. "I think it's the same contest Malik is doing."

"That's not good." Yugi says, turning around to face Tama once again. "I told you to get off the counter!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Saturday- noon- Burger World

"So, remind me again why we're holding our meeting at Burger World." Tama says, setting down her menu.

"Yugi and Joey are hungry, remember." Ryou says. "Malik doesn't look too pleased to be here though…"

Tama looks over at her lilac-eyed cousin and is not surprised to see him alternating between glaring at the menu, glaring at Yugi, glaring at Joey, and glaring at the poor waitress.

"Malik, you don't have to eat anything." Tama comments.

Malik turns his glare onto Tama instead, who then sweat drops and says, "I'm not hungry anymore."

Ryou sets his menu down on top of Tama's. "Same here."

Malik sits back, satisfied that he's managed to convince two people not to eat anything.

The meeting continues- at a different location- without too many mishaps. The Light's discussion today? 'Things, people, and pets yami's don't get along with'.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A young Yume looks around the desert, mentally cursing Mana. Recalling something the brunette told her, Yume sighs and sits down, waiting for her friend to find her.

A few minutes pass before Yume hears a faint cracking noise from beneath her. Startled, she jumps up, only to scream as the ground beneath her collapses, sending her falling to the ground. She yells out sharply as she lands, hard, on her left foot and hears a sharp 'crack'. She collapses onto her knees, coughing from the dust around her. She tightly closes her eyes, waiting for the dust to clear.

A few minutes later Yume hesitantly opens her eyes and is shocked to find out she's surrounded by darkness. Looking up, she sees no sign of the hole she fell through and wonders if this is all just a weird dream.

/././Guardian…/././

Yume jerks her head up at the sound of the voice and stares in surprise down the tunnel. She gasps when a serpentine dragon made entirely of light floats down the tunnel. Out of fright, she tries to back up but hisses in pain when she tries to move her left leg. Yume tightly shuts her eyes as the dragon gets closer.

When nothing happens she opens her eyes and gasps upon seeing the dragon curled around her leg. Startled she notices her left leg growing warm. A few seconds later the pain has ebbed away and the serpentine dragon fades away.

"W-what was that?" Yume nervously asks herself, jumping when her voice echoes around her,

/././Come, Guardian of the Dragons. Come to us./././

Yume staggers to her feet, heart pounding fiercely in her chest-

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

'YUME WAKE UP!' Tama yells worriedly.

/./What/./ Yume irritably snaps/.

'Bakura and Marik want to know if you want to go to the arcade with them.' Tama replies calmly.

Yume casts a wave irritability mixed with disbelief and slight amusement over to her Light's side of the link.

'That's a 'no' then, yami?' Tama asks.

/./Yeah hikari, that's a no././ Yume replies.

'Sorry about waking you up.' Tama apologizes. 'You must have been having a good dream or something.'

Yume doesn't reply.

'Yume, are you alright?'

Yume hesitates before replying, hating even partially lying to her hikari. /./It's nothing, Tama. Don't worry././

'If you say so… You sure you don't want to kick Bakura and Marik's asses at the arcade?'

/./Who else is going/./

'Yami, Joey, and Tea.'

/./And if I don't go what are you going to do/./

'I've got to go there to meet Mokuba anyway. Seto's got some new big plan to dethrone Yami.'

/./Another one/./

'Apparently so.'

/./You go ahead and have your meeting with Mokuba. I'm too tired to face the idiot duo././

'That's not very nice.'

/./What they don't know, can't hurt them. 'night hikari././

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"I cannot believe you killed the fucking machine." Tama states, glaring at Bakura and Marik.

Bakura manages to maintain a careless look, while Marik opts for the unconvincing (only to the Lights and Darks) innocent.

"Ishizu's going to be pissed off at you two you know that?" Tama continues. "I'm even mad at you. That's my, Joey, and Mokuba's favorite game!"

"So?" Marik says.

Tama glares at him and whacks the blonde in the head with her folder.

Marik winces and rubs the spot where he was hit.

"You deserved that." Tama says before Marik can say anything. "And I am aware that Malik will feel that as soon as you give him control back, and that's why I didn't hit you harder."

"Little-Light isn't happy." Marik comments.

"No shit…" Tama grumbles.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ishizu looks disapprovingly at Bakura and Marik. "You blew up a game machine." She faintly says. "I just have one question- Why?"

"I lost." Marik replies. "The game beat me and Bakura."

Ishizu sighs. "Do either of you have any idea how much one of those cost? We don't have that kind of money!"

"Mokuba said he'd handle it." Tama says, pausing by the door. "And I'm handling part of it too. I've already sent a letter to my dad."

"Uncle Kojiro?" Ishizu asks. "But why?"

Tama shrugs. "Well, it isn't really fair if Mokuba and Seto have to pay for it all. They're not related to either of them. Carry on lecturing them, it hasn't sunk in yet." She says before continuing past the door.

Ishizu sighs once again and turns to face the two Darks only to discover they have switched places with their Lights.

"What did he do this time?" Ryou tiredly asks.

"What did  _they_ do this time?" Malik amends.

"They blew up a game machine." Ishizu tells them, frowning. "Marik said it was because the game beat them.

Malik raises an eyebrow. "'The game beat them'." He repeats. "Well, what was the game?" He asks, expecting it to be one of the most challenging games in there.

"Whack-a-mole." Ishizu replies.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: Beach Vacation_

"Congratulations Joey!" Tama exclaims upon hearing his good news.

Joey grins. "Thanks, Tama. I still can't believe dat I won." He tilts his head sideways, trapping the phone between his shoulder and cheek. Then he begins cutting up chicken. "Listen, da prize is four weeks at dis beach house. I want you and da other's ta come. I can call Yug', Tristan, and Téa, but can you tell Ryou and Malik? Dey're part of da group now, ya know?"

"Sure Joey." Tama replies. "Give me a sec and I'll ask them."

Joey hears a small click as Tama sets the phone down on the table and then hears muffled yelling. Chuckling, Joey dumps the chopped up chicken into a pan on the stove. It hisses upon hitting the burning hot metal and then quiets down. Joey begins humming a small tune as he sprinkles seasoning over the chicken.

"Joey?" Tama asks, checking to make sure he's still there. "Malik and Ryou said they'll come. And Ishizu says 'thank you' for getting their psychotic yami's out of the house."

Joey sweat drops. "'kay den…"

"Don't worry, Joey. The Darks have promised to behave themselves to the best of their abilities." Tama assures him. "Look, I've gotta run. Ryou needs my help in the kitchen. We're having pot roast tonight and Malik's not too happy about that."

Joey laughs. "Alright Tama, jus' remember ta get over here at eight tomorrow. Dat's da time I'll have everything."

"Okay Joey, see you then!"

Joey hears a 'click' and then the dial tone as Tama as hangs. Joey turns off his phone and then turns it back on and dials Yugi's number.

-Ring! Ring!-

"Turtle Game Shop, how may I help you?" Yugi asks.

"Yug'. I won dat contest I was tellin' ya about!" Joey exclaims, grabbing a spatula from an open drawer.

"That's great Joey!" Yugi exclaims. "What did you win again?"

Joey opens the refrigerator and pulls out a jar. "Da prize is four weeks at a beach house. Tama, Ryou, and Malik are comin', do you wanna come?"

"Sure." Yugi replies. "Did you really ask Malik?"

"Yup." Joey says, opening the jar and pouring some of the sauce onto the cooking chicken. "Well, Tama asked him for me"

"So you're finally getting along with Malik, huh?" Yugi asks.

Joey stirs up the chicken. "Well, I figure if you and Tama think he's alright he can't be completely nuts."

Yugi laughs.

"You find dat funny, Yug'?" Joey asks.

"Joey, I've trusted Malik about since the end of Battle City." Yugi says. "I've got to go, Joey. Grandpa just got back with dinner."

"'kay, Yug'. Just get here tomorrow at eight. Dat's da time we're leavin'." Joey says, turning the temperature on the stove down slightly.

"See you then, Joey." Yugi says before hanging up.

Joey chuckles. "Da old man musta brought home burga's."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Joey sits outside on his front porch waiting for the others to show up. Parked on the side of the road out of everybody's way is a dark red Chevrolet truck.

By the time his watch hits 8 o'clock, everyone is already there and they're finishing up figuring out who's riding with who.

"Okay, Serenity, Yugi, and Ryou are with Joey in his new truck, Téa's with Duke in his car, Tristan's got his bike, and I'm driving Malik's bike." Tama says in a last effort to get everything confirmed.

"You are not driving my bike!" Malik protests.

Needless to say, Malik is ignored.

"I don' get why we can't just take my truck. If you all pile up in da-" Joey gets cut off by Duke.

"Joey, all of our stuff is in the back of your truck. There is no way we'd all fit back there." Duke says.

Tama casts a somewhat apologetic look in Joey's direction. "Can't say you didn't try, Joey. Now, whaddya say we hit the road?" She asks, handing her laptop to Ryou with firm instructions to be gentle with it.

"Alright let's move out!" Joey yells, opening the drivers side door of his truck.

Laughing, the others head to the vehicles they're either driving or riding in.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Man, look at this place!" Tristan says, looking around. "Looks like Joey did something right for a change."

Joey growls, glaring at Tristan. "Put a sock in it, monkey-boy!"

"Now's not the time to be arguing! We're going to be here for a month, so we need to be f-" Tea gets cut off by Tama shouting, "Not the 'f' word!"

"Oh dear…" Ryou murmurs.

Téa looks at Tama in confusion. "But I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say fri-"

"NO! DON'T SAY IT!" Tama yells, collapsing onto the ground. Inside her soul room Yume has doubled over laughing at her hikari.

"Say what? Frien-"

"Nononononononononononnonono!" Tama yells, covering her ears.

Malik smirks, finally figuring it out. "Friendship."

"AHH! You said  _it_! You're not suppose to say  _it_!"

There's silence for a minute, broken only by Tama's mutterings.

"Is she alright?" Joey asks Yugi and Malik. "She's not going psycho on us, is she?"

Malik shakes his head 'no' while Yugi just looks at his younger cousin worriedly.

"She had Lucky Charms and a bottle of Pepsi for breakfast this morning." Malik explains. "She gets very weird and reckless when she's on a sugar high, which is why I didn't let her drive." He grins. "There's only one way to snap her out of this." He looks around the group and considers his options.  _'Hmm… monkey-boy?'_

/./Tama will kill you././

' _Starfish?'_

/./Yami will kill you././ Marik sounds amused by this thought.

' _Dog-boy?'_

/./Are you trying to get yourself killed/./

Malik looks around again.  _'Hmm… bunny?'_

/./The killer rabbit/./

'That's an interesting way of putting it.' Malik's grin grows wider. "Hey Tama, it's a bunny!" He yells, pointing at Ryou.

"Bunny?" Tama asks, looking up. "BUNNY!" She happily- squeals?

Marik and Malik both wince _. 'Maybe that wasn't such a good idea…'_

Marik fully supports this thought as just seconds later Tama basically glomps Ryou, knocking the white-haired boy over.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama glares at Malik. "I'm going to kill you." She says, struggling against the rope binding her to the chair. "Do you hear me! I'm gonna kill you!"

Malik ignores Tama.

Tama sighs and stops struggling against the ropes. "Okay, maybe I'm not going to kill you."

Malik continues to ignore his cousin. Instead, he hums a little tune.

This is the scene Yugi walks in on.

"Malik, untie Tama. We're here to have fun, not hold each other hostage." The short teen says.

Malik gives Yugi an exasperated look. "Yugi, Tama's been sitting there threatening to kill me this entire time. I am not going to be the one to untie her."

"I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to sic the killer rabbit on you and let him kill you." Tama says sweetly.

Yugi sighs. "Tama, we promised Joey that our Darks would behave themselves. I don't think Bakura killing Malik qualifies."

Tama sighs, defeated. "Okay, fine. I won't sic Bakura on him."  _'Hey Yume?'_

(.(I'm not going to kill Malik.).) Yume replies.

' _I wasn't going to ask that, but thanks for letting me know. How do I get out of these ropes?'_

(.(You've tried wiggling free?).)

' _Of course I have!'_

(.(Alright, have you tried using the small dagger underneath your armband?).)

' _Oops.'_

(.(Idiot hikari.).)

Carefully, Tama slips her small silver dagger out from under her armband and quickly cuts through the ropes binding her torso to the chair. Then she bends down and cuts the rope binding her legs to the chair. Straightening up, she smirks at Malik. "Oh Malik…!"

"Oh shit!" Malik yells before running out the room past a startled Yugi.

Chuckling, Tama slips the small dagger back underneath her silver armband. "So Yugi, where's everyone else at?"

"Getting ready to go swimming. They sent me in here to get you and Malik." Yugi replies.

"Swimming already? Joey's idea, right?" Tama asks.

Yugi nods. "Yes, it was his idea. You going to come?"

Tama smiles. "Of course! I'll let you track down our fellow hikari while I go hunt down my suitcase!" Still smiling, Tama bounces out of the room to go hunt for her missing suitcase.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Téa shrieks as Joey and Tristan gang up on her and dump cool ocean water on her head. Yugi, Duke, Ryou, Malik, and Serenity all laugh when Téa grabs a Super Soaker and chases the two boys around the beach with it.

Téa's wearing a blue bikini that matches her eyes. Her brown hair lays damply on her shoulders thanks to Joey and Tristan. Serenity has on a light pink one-piece bathing suit and is wearing a light pink wrap. Her long light brown hair is braided back. Yugi's wearing red swim trunks, Joey's are black, Tristan's are dark purple, Duke's are green, Ryou's are blue, and Malik's are navy.

"What in the world…?" Tama asks, walking over to the group and watching Téa chase Joey and Tristan around at the same time. Her bathing suit is also a bikini, lime green in color, and she's wearing a cream-colored wrap.

"Joey and Tristan dumped water on Téa." Malik explains.

Tama giggles and sits down beside Ryou. "Man, this is nice…" She murmurs.

"It is." Serenity whole-heartedly agrees.

"Have mercy! Have mercy!" Joey yells right before he trips and falls into the water.

The entire group cracks up laughing at the pathetic look on Joey's face and all of them except Ryou and Tama take this time to join the blonde in the water.

Tama pulls Serenity's beach bag toward herself and rifles through it murmuring, "Sunscreen, where's the sunscreen?" Finally she finds the elusive sunscreen and pulls it out of the bag. She hums a small tune as she squirts some into her hand and then hands the high SPF sunscreen to Ryou.

Ryou smiles gratefully and takes the bottle, squirts some into his own hand, and then sets the bottle down in between them.

"Tama! Ryou! Come join us!" Malik yells. "Forget the sunscreen! You two need a tan!"

Tama rolls her eyes and ignores Malik, picking up the sunscreen and squirting more into her hand. With her other hand she unties her wrap so she can put sunscreen on her legs.

The two friends sit in silence for a minute or so, carefully making sure they have on enough sunscreen.

Tama sighs. "Ano, Ryou? Can you get my back?" She asks, failing to fight back a blush.

Ryou blushes as well, but nods.

Tama turns around so her back is facing Ryou and then pulls her hair over shoulder so it's out of the way. Shivers run down her spine when Ryou's hand makes contact with her shoulder. "Out playing in the water, Serenity pauses for a moment and watches the two English-accented teens. Joey notices this and looks over in the direction his sister is looking.

"They'd make a cute couple, wouldn't they?" Serenity asks her brother.

Joey nods. "Dey would. Yug' agrees with me, but I wouldn't mention nothin' to Malik."

Serenity looks thoughtfully at Ryou and Tama for a moment. "Big brother, would it be wise to… give them a push?" She asks.

"I dunno, Serenity. It might make a month more interestin' dough." Joey replies. "We'll think about it later, sis. We gotta go dunk Duke."

Serenity looks around to figure out where the raven-haired boy is. "It looks like he's already been dunked and it's Yugi's turn."

Joey laughs. "Dunk Yug' it is den!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Seto and Mokuba sit in their limo. Mokuba is staring out the window in an attempt to find something interesting. Seto types continuously on his laptop.

A flash of bright red catches Mokuba's attention. "Hey Seto, isn't that Yugi?"

Seto momentarily looks up from his work and frowns.  _'So much for a peaceful week.'_

"Hey Ryoichi, pull over up here for a second." Mokuba requests, rolling down his window.

Their driver obeys and pulls over.

"Hey Yugi! YUGI!" Mokuba yells.

Yugi looks over at the limo and, seeing Mokuba, waves.

"Look's like we're neighbors for a while!" Mokuba cheerfully yells, before rolling his window back up. "This should be fun."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Our neighbor's are WHO!" Joey yells.

"Mokuba and Seto." Yugi replies. "They drove by and Mokuba yelled out the window to me."

Tama sighs. "Why must work always follow me around?"

"You look for it. Now be quiet so I can watch Joey flip out." Marik says, fading in in-between his Light and Tama.

"Dis is my vacation! I don' wanna see rich boy durin' my vacation!" Joey yells. "I'm gonna go over dere and give him a piece of my mind!"

"Joey, calm down." Téa says. "If you don't want to see him then don't go over there.

Joey growls, glaring out the window.

-(It's no wonder Seto refers to you as the barking Chihuahua.)- Tama comments. -(Just calm down. I doubt Seto will come outside much anyway. Mokuba on the other hand…)-

-+Mokuba's fine. It's rich boy who bugs me.+-

-(Then don't let him bug you.)-

-+Thanks Tama…+-


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: Arising Problems_

Tama lazily sits under an umbrella with Serenity and Ryou. The others-including the darks- and Mokuba are out playing in the water.

"I can't believe two weeks have gone by already…" Tama murmurs.

"And without much mayhem from the yami's." Ryou says, glancing up from his book to check on Bakura.

Tama stretches as she replies. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

-SPLASH-

Tama turns her now sopping wet head to glare at a grinning Mokuba and Joey. "You two do realize," She begins softly. "that I'm going TO KILL YOU!"

Joey and Mokuba runs off screaming and Tama scrambles to her feet, grabs the two buckets Joey and Mokuba used, and proceeds to chase after them.

Serenity and Ryou laugh when Tama catches up to Mokuba, drops the buckets, and picks the slightly smaller boy up, carries him onto the floating dock, and tosses him into the water.

Joey comes up behind Tama and shoves her into the water just as Mokuba comes up to the surface. Tama comes up sputtering and glares at the laughing blonde.

Yume carefully sneaks up behind Joey and shoves him in. And then Bakura breaks the chain by picking up Yume and jumping into the water with her.

The rest of that afternoon's entertainment consists of Yume trying to kill Bakura while the Lights keep them from sending each other to the Shadow Realm and Joey gets teased by Duke and Tristan because he got pushed by a girl into the water. (Serenity and Téa promptly shut the two up by shoving them into the water.)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

As Tama predicted, Seto spent his time at his and Mokuba's summer house, not even coming over for lunch, dinner, or to get Mokuba. Instead, Tama and Mokuna take food over to him and Seto calls the house when he feels Mokuba needs to come home. Today's the same as every other day this past two weeks.

"Hey Seto, we've got your dinner!" Tama yells into the silent house.

Mokuba sets the container of salad down on the kitchen counter and then opens the refrigerator. "Hey Tama, what do you think I should get him to drink? Tea, orange juice, water, or coffee?"

Tama sets down a plate of meat-free food. "Ra knows that man doesn't need any more coffee. He doesn't get enough sleep as it is. What kind of tea do you have?"

"Green tea, normal tea, and decaffeinated." Mokuba replies, reading off the labels on the three containers.

"No chamomile then… I'll have to make some later." Tama murmurs thoughtfully. "Green tea should be fine." She tells Mokuba.

Mokuba nods and pulls the container of green tea out of the refrigerator.

"So what are you and the others doing tonight?" He asks, pulling a glass out of one of the cabinets.

Ever since Tama came over for the first time and cooked them dinner, Mokuba made a point to figure out where stuff is in the kitchen.

Tama takes the plastic wrap off the dish as she answers. "I think we're having a bonfire tonight. Joey's been wanting to roast marshmallows and there's a package of hotdogs that have mysteriously appeared in our refrigerator since Joey first suggested the bonfire. Of course, there's probably going to be some game attached to this all, and I have a feeling that it'll be the infamous Truth or Dare."

Mokuba pours some of the tea into the glass before saying anything. "Sounds like fun."

Tama shrugs. "I guess so." She masks her emotions as a thought occurs to her. "Hey Mokuba, how would you like to spend the night with us all?" She carefully asks.

Mokuba looks at Tama in surprise, a smile threatening to find its way onto his face. "Really?"

"No, I'm just saying that." Tama says sarcastically. "Of course I mean it! If we're lucky Seto will join us."

"I highly doubt that, Muto." Seto says, walking into the kitchen. "I have better things to do with my time rather than sit around and listen to the nonsense the barking Chihuahua and Gardner spit out."

Tama shrugs. "Well, it was worth a shot. Here's your dinner by the way." She says, gesturing to the plates and the glass of tea.

Seto nods; his way of saying 'thank you'.

"Seto, can I spend the night with Tama and the others?" Mokuba bluntly asks.

"As long as your in bed by midnight." Seto replies, looking pointedly at Tama.

Mokuba rushes forward and hugs Seto. "Thank you big brother."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Laughing can be heard around the campfire as Joey and Tristan jump around dancing like a couple of maniacs.

As Tama had predicted, someone had suggested that they play 'Truth or Dare'. That someone was Malik.

So far Mokuba has been dared to hang upside down for five minutes while singing The Song that Never Ends, Duke had to let the girls do his hair (which now has ribbons, beads, and all sorts of things twisted into it and some of it's all spiked up), Serenity had to kill each of the boys on the cheek, and Joey and Tristan have had to dance around the campfire. Obviously, no one has been brave enough to choose 'truth'. Not yet anyway.

"Alright Joey, choose your victim!" Téa says.

Joey looks around and considers his options, mulling over some of the weird and odd things that have happened during the past two weeks. Remembering something Serenity commented to him about earlier, Joey chooses his victim. "Yug', truth or dare?" He asks.

"Truth." Yugi says after a moments hesitation, regretting choosing truth as soon as the words leave his mouth and upon seeing the gleeful look on Joey's face.

"Alright den. Who do you like?"

Yugi looks relieved. "That's easy, Joey. I-"

"No, who do you  _like_?" Joey emphasizes.

Yugi's relieved look turns to a puzzled one. "Joey, what do you mean?"

"Oh for Ra's sake, he wants to know who you have a crush on or are in love with!" Malik says, half-irritated by the other blonde boy's vagueness.

Yugi turns bright red when Joey nods.

The others look at the small teen, some sure of who it is and some unsure.

"I-I like…" Yugi stutters, his heart pounding almost painfully in his chest.

"We won't laugh." Tama says gently resting her hand on Yugi's shoulder.

"Yami…" Yugi whispers. "I-I like Yami…"

"Ha! You owe me ten bucks Joey!" Tristan happily yells. "Pay up, man!"

Everyone else sweat drops and Yugi turns even more red before burying his face in his hands.

-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-

Yumeri walks down the tunnel, heart pounding fiercely in her chest. Her violet eyes flicker over the slightly glowing walls, which have carvings of different types of dragons on them. Her soft footsteps echo down the tunnel, making Yumeri grow more confused by the second. She has yet to hear the mysterious voice again, which makes her wonder if she just imagined it. And is it just her or is it starting to get more bright in here?

Yumeri shrieks as she slips and pitches forward into a large room. She slides down the strange sloping wall and slowly comes to a stop. Groaning, she pushes herself up onto her knees. Looking up, she's unable to stop the gasp that falls from her lips, for standing in front of her are two large dragons- one of solid white light and the other the deep black of darkness.

The white one chuckles, a deep rumbling sound issuing from its throat. /././Relac, young guardian. There's no need to be afraid. We didn't call you here to harm you./././ She says gently.

/././Yes, that would be rather idiotic of us./././ The black dragon says, his voice carrying a deep rumbling sound. Come to think of it, the white dragon's voice has a bit of a rumble in it too, except hers is more gentle.

"Wh-who are you?" Yumeri stutters, finding herself wondering just how sharp the two dragon's claws and horns are.

/././You may call me Light./././ The white dragon says.

/././And you can call me Dark./././ The black dragon says.

/././And I'm Shadow/././

Yumeri jumps upon hearing the child-like third voice and turns around to see a smaller speckled dragon.

/././We are the guardians of the dragon sanctuary and oddly enough, the guardians of the Dragon Guardian./././ Dark explains.

"Dragon Guardian?" Yumeri curiously asks.

/././The Dragon Guardian; she who protects the dragons and her people. The Dragon Guardian is very important to we dragons./././ Light says.

/././I'm pretty sure she gathered that much, Light./././ Shadow comments.

"What does this all have to do with me? Why am I here?" Yumeri asks, confused.

To Yumeri's immense surprise, all three of the dragons chuckle.

/././It's quite obvious, young one. You are the Guardian of the Dragons. Or you will be./././ Light says.

-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-

/./Little-Dark, wake up././ Marik prodes. /./Wake up! Wake up! Wa-/./

(.(Shut up you moron!).) Yume screams. (.(What the hell do you want Marik!).)

/./'kura and I want to know if you want to play a few pranks././ Marik says.

(.(On whom?).)

/./Our hikari's or Kaiba or- I dunno, we haven't decided yet/./ Marik exclaims.

Yume thinks for moment. (.(Count me in.).) She can just imagine Marik smirking.

/./Bored, Little-Dark/./ He teases.

Yume scowls. (.(Just shut up, Mariku.).)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

" _ **MUTO!"**_

Tama looks curiously up from the cookbook her, Ryou, and Joey are looking over. "Was that Seto?"

Joey growls. "It had betta' not be rich boy!"

Tama sighs. "I'll go see what's wr-" She gets cut off as a very angry CEO storms into the kitchen.

"What are you doing in here, rich boy!"

Tama rolls her eyes and stuffs a few left over marshmallows in Joey's mouth. "What's wrong, Seto?"

"I awoke this morning to find doodles all over my bedroom walls." Seto growls.

"What does dat have ta do wit' us!" Apparently marshmallows don't keep Joey quiet.

Seto glares at Joey. "Shut up, mutt."

"I'm not a dog, Kaiba!"

Tama eyes a jar of peanut butter still sitting out from lunch.

"Muto, I suggest you keep your 'other halves' under control for the remainder of vacation or else there will be serious consequences."

'Yume?'

/./Whatever it is, I didn't do it/./

'I'm going to kill you all.'

/./Now hikari, there's no need to go homicidal on us/./

'If you, Bakura, and Marik messing with Seto- who just happens to be my boss- doesn't qualify, then what does?'

/./Umm… well there is the matter of the pink dye we put in Kaiba's green tea scented shampoo-/./

" ** _YOU WHAT!"_** Tama screams out loud, making Joey and Ryou jump. Seto is already headed back over to his, most likely taking Mokuba with him to keep his precious baby brother from being corrupted. Insert snickering.

Well, so much for a peaceful last two weeks.


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15: Shadi's Warning_

"Man, it feels good to be home." Tama remarks, shoving the last of her clothes into Ryou's old dresser. "The beach was fun, but I'm much more comfortable here."

"You do know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." Malik comments, stopping by the open door.

"No, the first sign of insanity is the voice actually talking back." Tama replies, tossing a shirt to Malik. "That's yours."

Malik easily catches the shirt. "I was wondering where that went… thanks, Tama." He says, before continuing on his way.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama plops down on the couch beside Ryou with a bowl of popcorn. Ishizu sits in the recliner and Odion and Malik are on the floor.

"I don't know what it is about movies that's so addictive." Tama remarks off-handedly.  
"Anyway, what are we watching?"

"Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Ryou replies, a small smile on his face.

Tama laughs. "My favorite movie!" She throws a piece of popcorn at the back of Malik's head. "Hush you! The movie's starting!"

For the rest of the evening and on into the night they sit there and watch a bunch of comedy movies. They eventually fall asleep wherever it is they were sitting.

y-y-y-y-y-y

Yumeri looks up at Light in surprise. "Me?" She squeaks.

Light, Dark, and Shadow chuckle.

/././Yes, you. You have the soul potential to be the greatest Dragon Guardian of all time./././ Light says. /././Will you accept the duties of the Dragon Guardian/././

"At what costs?" Yumeri quietly asks after a moment.

/././You are wise to ask that./././ Dark comments /././You must listen to the voices of your people. Many decision you make will greatly affect them. Only one may know what your title is, besides the Dragon Highlord, Seth. Yes, I mean your cousin Seth./././

/././The Highlord is barely a rank over you./././ Shadow says seriously. /././But none-the-less, his orders do prevail over yours except for with us. We do hate going against him though./././

/././You guard us and we guard you./././ Light recites. /././Will you accept/././

"I-" Yumeri swallows. "I accept."

Shadow, Dark, and Light nod their approval. /././We the Dragons, Guardians of the Dragon Sanctuary invoke our right to choose and train a Dragon Guardian of our choosing! We ask you to allow this right/././

A pair of glowing blue eyes and a pair of glowing red eyes appear in the darkness. /././So you ask, so is your right, so we agree./././

y-y-y-y-y-y

Tama slowly struggles into consciousness with the feeling that someone is watcher her. 'Yume?' She groggily asks.

/./Zzzzzzzzzz…././

Tama absent-mindedly snuggles closer to the warmth around her, her brain not functioning correctly yet.  _'Warm… snuggly…'_ She mentally giggles.  _'Is snuggly even a word?'_

Slowly her brain wakes up and starts processing what's going on. Tama's eyes flicker open as the soft scent of vanilla drifts across her senses. She comically blinks when all she sees is snowy white.  _'Wait… white… Ryou has white hair… he smells good.'_ She mentally smacks herself after the last comment.  _'I hope its not Malik who's watching us. I'll never hear the end of it if it is.'_

Tama looks up and studies Ryou's face.  _'He looks… so peaceful. Like nothing in the world could bother him. I wonder what it'd be like to-'_ She blushes and stops that train of thought.  _'New topic! Who's watching us? Malik would have said something by now. Ishizu… no and Odion wouldn't either.'_ She frowns and concentrates on the aura.  _'Okay… whoever it is has an aura similar to Ryou's. Bakura maybe? No, it's not dark enough.'_ Her lilac eyes widen and she gulps.  _'Oh_ Ra _, please tell me it's not who I think it is.'_

Tama carefully turns her head and her face pales when she sees Mr. Bakura's intimidating form.  _'Oh bloody hell…'_

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama, Malik, Ryou, Ishizu, and Odion all sit on the couch across from Mr. Bakura, still dressed in their pajama's. Malik is half asleep and is resting his head on Tama's shoulder. Odion and Ishizu sit there politely, not making a noise. And Tama and Ryou sit fidgeting under Mr. Bakura's gaze.

"Who are they, Ryou?" Mr. Bakura finally asks.

"This is Tama and her cousins, Malik, Ishizu, and Odion." Ryou says softly.

Sitting in front of Mr. Bakura like this reminds Tama of an incident back in England. It was a weekend and Tama slept over at Ryou's house. They fell asleep on the couch curled up in each others arms after having the power go out in the middle of their Disney movie. Unbeknownest to them, Ryou's dad returned sometime that night and they got lectured in the morning. Then Kiba came to pick up Tama in the middle of the lecture and got into an argument with Mr. Bakura… and won.

Tama mentally giggles upon remembering this; watching her 10-year-old brother (she was 7) argue with someone over twice his age and win was the highlight of her day. Unfortunately, her brother isn't here to defend her this time.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Hours later Tama finds herself cooking in the kitchen with Ryou. Malik, Odion, and Ishizu are nowhere in sight, but Mr. Bakura is sitting at the kitchen table.

Tama, deciding to ignore Ryou's dad the best she possibly can and go about things semi-normally, turns to Ryou with a smile. "Sing with me?" She asks.

Ryou's eyes briefly flicker to his dad, but then he nods.

Tama starts off the song, her voice soft but growing stronger with every word. Ryou sings the second verse, his soft voice low and haunting. Then Tama joins him for the chorus.

" _Lingering darkness surrounds my heart,_

_The light shadows the way,_

_But the darkness blinds me,_

_The never-ending battle…"_

Tama's voice fades away as Ryou takes the third verse. She fondly watches him sway gently as he stirs the cooking noodles and blushes and turns away when he glances in her direction.

Now Ryou's voice fades away after Tama begins the fourth verse. Then he comes back in for the final two choruses and then a repeat of the final line.

_-BOOOOOOM!-_

The entire house shudders.

Tama and Ryou look at each other with stunned expressions.

"What was that?" Mr. Bakura asks.

-(Ryou, tell me that wasn't what I think it was…)-

-'When do they not cause trouble?'-

Tama nervously laughs. "I'll- I'll be right back." She stutters, before running out of the room.

Running outside, her eyes widen when she sees the destruction of Ryou's backyard. She takes a big breath of air and then screams, "MARIKU! MALIK! BAKURA! YUMERI!"

"It's their fault!" Bakura yells, pointing at Marik and Malik.

Tama glares at Bakura, her lilac eyes cold. "Were you dueling?"

Bakura backs down from the Light's glare, leaving Yume to defend them.

"Well, yes, we were dueling, but the backyard exploded when  _they_ summoned  _their_ monster! It's not  _our_ fault!"

Tama turns her glare on Yume. "I specifically told you no dueling." She says icily. "Bakura, Yumeri, Mariku. Go. Now. Malik, Ishizu will hear about this when she comes home."

Malik gulps as Bakura, Yume, and Marik disappear, leaving him there alone with his highly agitated cousin.

Tama then proceeds to grab Malik's ear and drag him inside, grumbling something about idiots not knowing how to listen.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The week passes by incredibly slowly. The only time Ryou, Tama, and Malik have a moment of peace is the one day they have their Light Support Group meeting. Once Mr. Bakura leaves, Tama and Malik do a happy dance around the living room while Ryou, Ishizu, Odion, and the yami's watch.

Of course, we can't let their fun last long.

Ishizu looks in surprise at a corner of the room. "Shadi? What are you doing here?"

Tama yelps as she runs right into Malik when he abruptly stops.

"Malik! That hurt!" Tama complains.

Yume rolls her eyes. "You're not bleeding and dieing, hikari. Now shut up, Shadi's here to bug us again."

"Another day, another cryptic message." Tama sighs.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama, Ryou, and Malik stare blankly at the spot Shadi was just at.

"That," Tama starts once she regains her voice. "was the strangest warning I have ever heard. 'Lights combined and Darks combined, the world shall fall.' And now we have to bloody split up!" She throws her hands into the air in exasperation. "what the bloody hell am I going to do! I've got a job here! Seto's not going to bloody let me take a bloody unknown amount of time off!"

"You panic too easily," Ryou says. "Not to mention you used too many 'bloody's' in that sentence. You can work with Mokuba on your computer and we can all call one another."

"Or IM." Malik says. "Believe it or not, I still have the laptop you got me."

Tama half-heartedly glares at Malik. "You had better. I got you that at the beginning of summer."

"But where are you going to go?" Ishizu asks.

"I guess I'll go visit dad in the US." Tama murmurs.

"And I've got family in England." Ryou says.

"I guess we'll be going home for now." Ishizu says, sighing lightly.

There's silence in the living room for a moment. Even the yami's are quiet.

"I guess we should start packing." Ryou says softly, not moving from his spot on the couch.

Tama stands up. "I'm going to call Mokuba and let him know what's going on." She says before walking out of the room.

Slowly, they all solemnly leave the room, the yami's disappearing into their soul room, and they all begin packing.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ryou and Tama quickly grab their bags from the baggage claim at an airport in England. Then they walk away from the area and out into the main area. Tama sighs after glancing at her watch.

"What's wrong?" Ryou asks.

"I've got another hour before my plane leaves." Tama replies, dragging her bags to an empty chair.

"I'll wait with you until my aunt gets here. She's always late." Ryou says, putting his bags down beside Tama's. "How about I go get us something to eat and we can sit here and chat for a while."

Tama nods. "Alright… I'll stay here with the bags and keep a look-out for your aunt. What's she look like?"

"Umm…" Ryou has to think for a moment, trying to conjure up an image of his aunt in his mind. "I think aunt Lily has short, spiky white hair and will most likely be wearing something… eye-catching. And she'll most likely be tripping over her own feet and looking around with a confused look on her face."

Tama giggles. "I'll keep an eye out." She promises. "Oh!" She fumbles with her wallet for a minute before she finds five dollars. "Here; for my food."

Ryou gently takes the five dollars. "Be right back." He says, before walking off.

Tama lets out a deep breath as she sits down in one of the uncomfortable chairs and then looks around the airport, already keeping an eye out for Ryou's aunt.

Ryou returns less than ten minutes later with two Burger King burgers. He first hands Tama her change and then hands her the burger. The two sit in silence for five minutes while they eat, content to just be in each others presence.

"Hey Ryou, I'm going to miss you." Tama murmurs, glancing over at the white-haired boy.

"I'll miss you too, Tama." Ryou replies. "There's my aunt." He says, pointing to a woman with short, spiky white hair, vibrant green eyes, and is wearing a light blue spaghetti strap shirt and a black knee-length skirt. Over top it all she's wearing a light-weight black cloak with golden designs.

"She looks… cool." Tama comments.

Ryou nods. "She is. Although I don't even want to think about all the stuff she's going to have me doing. She always has something going on." He says, standing up . "Aunt Lily, over here!" Ryou calls, waving his arms in the air.

Tama has to bite back a laugh at her friends antics. Meanwhile, Lily catches sight of Ryou and rushes over.

"Bloody hell, Ryou! You've sure grown." She comments, looking him over. The she notices Tama and her green eyes light up. "Who's your friend?"

"Aunt Lily, this is Tama Muto. Tama, this is my Aunt Lily." Ryou says.

Lily looks at Tama thoughtfully for a moment. "You look familiar… Oh I know! I saw you one day when I came by to pick up Ryou!" She turns to Ryou. "Is she coming with us? You should have told me!"

"I'm going to the United States to visit my dad." Tama says. "But my plane doesn't leave for about 40 minutes or so, so me and Ryou were just sitting here eating."

"Well in any case, it's nice to finally meet you." Lily says. "Now Ryou and I must get home. I left my brother in control of the food and he'll probably have ordered pizza and ate without us if we're late." She says, grabbing one of Ryou's two bags.

"Wait a second," Ryou says, setting down his burger wrapper to reach down and go through his other bag. "I've got something for you, Tama."

Tama looks at Ryou in surprise. "You do? I've kind of got something for you…"

Lily watches in interest as the two teens look through their bags. Ryou finds his first, a box carefully tied with an amethyst ribbon. Then Tama pulls her out, a small, thin green box. They exchange gifts and then carefully open them.

Ryou gasps when he sees his, a slim silver-framed book with a photo of him and Tama as kids on the front. Opening it up he finds a photo of him and Tama now, that Yugi had taken at the beach. Behind it are a few more pages which are blank.

"Oh wow… Ryou." Tama whispers, staring in shock at the delicate, silver heart-shaped locket with a dragon carved into it. She gently opens it and sees a picture of her on one side and Ryou on the other. "Thank you!" She whispers, hugging him tightly as tears spring to her eyes. "I love it."

Ryou blushes. "No problem. And… thank you."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama looks around the New York City airport. "Where is he…?"

Yume fades in beside Tama. "Where is who?" She asks, appearing bored with the entire situation.

"My dad." Tama replies. "He was suppose to be here by now. It's not like him to be late…"

"Taaaaaaaaaaaammmaaaaaaaaaa!"

Tama pales. "Oh Ra, I know that voice."

Yume looks around and raises an eyebrow when she sees a boy with bright purple tips on his black hair running through the crowd toward them. The thousands-of-years-old spirit snickers when he tackles Tama and tightly hugs her.

Tama soon turns red from lack of oxygen. "Dami'- can't- breath!" She chokes.

Damian grins and lets go of Tama. "Man! Are you shorter or is it just my imagination?" He pats her on the head. "You're like, a foot shorter than me!"

Tama swats Damian's hand away and Yume goes back into her soul room. "Knock it off, Rebel. Why are you here and where's my dad at?"

Damian grins mischievously. "Your dad is back at the 'house'. He's working on some computer junk so he sent me to come get you. As to why I'm here, well, we haven't seen each other for a long time so I drove up here from the southland just to see ya."

"You mean the mental institution actually let you get your license and let you out?" Tama jokingly asks.

"No, I'm driving illegally." Damian says, still grinning. "I'm joking. Yeah, I got my license."

Tama nods. "Cool. So did I. What are you driving, anyway?"

"My truck. C'mon, lets get your crap into the back and hit the road." Damian says, grabbing one of her suitcases.

Tama grabs her backpack and pulls it on her back and then picks up her other suitcase. "Alright, lets go!"

Damian's grin grows wider and he grabs her arm. "Weeeeeeee'rrrreeee- OFF to see the wizard!"

Tama laughs as they begin skipping through the airport singing. (1)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"I'm home!" Tama yells as she and Damian walk into the large 'house'. "Daddy! Where are you!"

An older boy with wavy dark red hair with pale blonde highlights pokes his head around the corner, bright amethyst eyes shining.

Tama's jaw drops. "Kiba?"

The older boy steps out from around the corner, dressed in a simple black tee with a Linkin' Park logo on it and a pair of black jeans. In one ear he has a small silver hoop, a silver cross, and a cuff and in the other ear he has a small silver loop and a slightly skinnier gold hoop.

"Kiba!" Tama squeals, dropping her suitcase and rushing forward to envelope her older brother in a hug. Kiba tightly hugs her back.

"I can't believe you're here…" Tama whispers. "I missed you, Kiba."

"Missed you too, sis." Kiba murmurs.


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: 'Normality' Returns_

"…and then we went to this cool carnival! It was so cool! I swear, me an' Kiba an' Dami' went on every single roller coaster that was there!" Tama says energetically. "It was so cool!" She repeats.

Yugi laughs. "Sounds like you had fun." He says, stacking up a few puzzle boxes.

Tama nods. "I did. It was great seeing Damian, Kiba, and daddy again. I miss them already."

"So what did Yume do during all of this?" Yami asks.

"She actually assumed solid form once, but she didn't have much fun since she couldn't feel anything." Tama says. "So I let her have control for a while. I think she drove Damian nuts though…"

Yugi looks up from his work. "Is he still a nonbeliever?" He asks.

Tama shakes her head 'no'. "No, he believes me now. Yume just freaks him out because she looks so much like me but acts and sounds different."

"Get off the counter, Tama." Yugi says, walking past her with a box.

"So where's Ryou and Malik?" Yami asks.

Tama ignores Yugi and stays on the counter, answering Yami's question instead. "Ryou's suffering from jet-lag and overexposure to his yami and Ishizu's keeping Malik in Egypt. They found some old tablets and they're working on deciphering tehm. He said he'll be back before Christmas because he want to see snow. I think he just misses us. Not that I blame him." Tama says. "I can't believe that school starts back up tomorrow."

Yugi gives a noncommitted 'hn' as he sets up the last of the duel monster card packets. "Tama, do you need help getting off the counter? Because I can help you if you need it."

Tama pouts and slips off the counter, leaning up against it instead, her several necklaces clinking together. Yugi and Yami both notice this.

"Where'd you get all of the necklaces? Before you just had the Millennium Dragon and one silver dog-tag necklace." Yugi says.

"Well… this one's from Ryou," Tama says, holding up the locket. "and this is from Damian," She holds up a golden half a heart with 'BE' and 'FRI' on it, obviously the first half of a 'Best Friends' necklace. "and daddy and Kiba got me this one." She says, holding up the last one; a witchy-looking silver claw with a small amethyst-lilac colored orb clutched in the claws.

"Dragon claw?" Yugi questions.

Tama grins and nods. "Yup! Now I gotta head home and make sure Bakura and Yume haven't killed one another or burnt the house down while Ryou's napping."

Yugi laughs. "Alright, see you tomorrow?"

"Of course." Tama replies. "Later cuz," She says, walking out of the shop.

Yami looks curiously over at his Light. "Should we have told her about the KC grand prix?" He asks.

Yugi sighs as he folds up the box and sets it against a wall. "I'm sure she heard of it since I remember Mokuba on the phone with her, asking for advice."

"Hmm…"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"I hate you!"

"I hate you more!"

Tama glares at the two arguing spirits. "Fine! You both hate each other! We get it!"

Ryou groans into his pillow and then sits up. "Tama, you know there is not way you're going to get them to stop arguing."

Tama sighs. "I know, but it was worth a try."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Months fly by. Yume and Bakura are arguing worse than ever and they have discovered Yume is remembering bits and pieces of her past which lead to even more arguing.

y-y-y-y-y-y

Yumeri looks around the desert, the golden dragon pendant cool against her chest.

"Yumeri! I'm so sorry!" Mana yells, appearing from nowhere. "I can't believe I messed up the spell! I'm so so so so so so soo sorry!"

"It's alright, Mana." Yumeri replies. "Just get me out of here."

Mana happily nods. "Okay! But once we get in the village you get to tell me where you got that dragon pendant."

Yumeri hesitantly nods. "I- I will, Mana."

y-y-y

Yumeri excitably looks around the market, hood covering her brightly colored hair. After making up something about where she got the pendant, Yumeri made sure to hide it under her clothes so she wouldn't attract attention. Sighing, she turns away from a stand selling beads and comes face to face with a mahogany-eyed, white-haired boy.

"Oh! S-sorry!" Yumeri stutters, lowering her head.

"Watch where you're going, peasant." The boy growls before walking off.

Yumeri frowns. "Who are you cal-"

"Yumeri!" Mana hisses, grabbing her friends arm. "Don't!"

"But Mana-"

Mana shakes her head furiously. "Don't! Lets go home. Atemu will be wondering where you've gone."

y-y-y

A 16-year-old Yumeri carefully slips out her bedroom door and slips into the hall, beige shoes not making a sound against the floor. She's wearing a knee-length dress that's styled similarly to her royal robes, except there's no gold and the sleeves aren't off-the-shoulder.

"Going out again tonight, miss Yumeri?" Mana asks in a disapproving tone.

Yumeri pauses. "I am."

"I wish you wouldn't." Mana says cautiously. "I've hear the Thief King Bakura is coming tonight."

"I'll be fine, Mana." Yumeri assures her best friend. "A little thief isn't going to stop me. Now go on to bed, I don't need Mahaado catching you up so late."

Mana watches worriedly as her friend slips into the darkness and out of sight. "But I have a bad feeling…" She murmurs.

Outside, Yumeri carefully climbs over the walls and drops down on the other side to see a few peasant men and a couple of women. She nods to them and then gestures for them to follow her.

"Where are we going tonight, milady?" One of the men asks.

Yumeri doesn't answer for a moment. "I've received word of a cruel but wealthy landlord. I figured we'd pay him a visit tonight." She says calmly, unfazed by the quiet cheers of the peasants, who have undoubtedly heard of the landlord.

"But milady, aren't you worried? I've hear that the Thief King Bakura is in the area tonight." One of the women says.

Yumeri coolly eyes the small band. "So that is why our band has decreased tonight. You need not fear the Thief King, I can take care of him." She says smirking. "Now come, we must hurry."

The small band of thieves makes its way through the village until they come to a large building. Yumeri quickly scans the area and then gives a hand signal to her followers. They quickly enter the building with Yumeri on high alert behind them.

The peasants set to work n looting the place while Yumeri prowls around, making sure nothing will go wrong. All is well until a flash of white and then blonde catches her attention. Knowing that none of her followers have white or blonde hair, Yumeri lets out a schrill whistle. Within one minute, every member of her band has fled the building and is cautiously making his or her way home.

Yumeri stays behind to hunt down the two that interrupted her night. Slinking carefully through the shadows she once again find the blonde and white blurs and waits for them to come closer. Then she pounces on the blonde one and manages to pin him down. Yumeri looks at the blonde in shock. "M-Mariku?" She stutters, before the white-haired man tackles her and manages to pin her down with a dagger at her throat.

"Bakura, don't!" Mariku yells. "That's my cousin!"

Bakura pauses, dagger still pressed against Yumeri's delicate throat, and looks down at the smaller girl.

Yumeri looks defiantly back, violet eyes glittering darkly.

Bakura scowls and lets her up, hiding his dagger somewhere in his bright red cloak. "She ruined our hunt." He hisses to Mariku.

"And you both ruined mine, so we're even." Yumeri replies, standing up.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Bakura growls.

Yumeri glares at both of the guys. "My name is Yumeri. I was here keeping lookout for my band of thieves. That is, until you two scared them off." She nonchalantly brushes off her clothes. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

-SLAM-

Mariku, Bakura, and Yumeri all curse and then the two guys run into the shadows, bright cloaks billowing behind them. Yumeri quickly glances around and spots a window. She quickly jumps out it and begins running home to the palace.

y-y-y

A 17-year-old Yumeri boredly stares at the table where she, the priests, and the high priestess are sitting.

"What do you think, Yumeri?" The high priestess, Isis asks.

Yumeri lifts her head up and looks at Isis sleepily. "Huh?"

The high priest Seth sighs in frustration. "Yumeri, have you listened to a word of this meeting?"

"Not really." Yumeri sheepishly says, tiredly rubbing her eyes. "Can this please wait until tomorrow?"

Isis sighs. "Very well. But we cannot postpone it any longer than that." She says, before standing up. "Be here tomorrow at noon."

Yumeri nods as the other priests stand up. "I will." She turns her attention to Seth. "High priest Seth, I request your presence."

Seth raises an eyebrow, but follows the short girl to a room that branches off from the meeting room. Yumeri carefully closes the door behind them.

"What is it?" Seth asks, crossing his arms over his check.

Yumeri bites her lip. "Seth… have you ever been in love?"

Seth stiffins. "What?"

"Have you ever been in love?" Yumeri repeats, lifting her head up until she's looking into Seth's eyes.

Seth hesitates for a moment. "Yes. Yes, I have."

"How… how did you tell that person that you liked them. I mean, what did you say- do, whatever?"

"And why do you want to know this, Guardian?"

"Because, high lord, I- I think I'm in love with someone…"

Seth stares at Yumeri in shock for a moment before collecting himself. "Is he royalty?"

Yumeri sighs. "Well… he's considered royalty by his people…"

Seth sighs heavily. "Yumeri, I'm not the best person to ask about this but… if you like him, if you are in love with him, then tell him."

Yumeri smiles at her friend. "Thanks Seth."

y-y-y

Yumeri sneaks carefully into a tent outside the palace out toward the desert, the moon and stars her only light. She quickly pushes back the flap and steps into the tent, looking across the room at a sleeping white-haired figure. She quietly makes her way across the room and reaches a hand out to gently brush Bakura's hair. She gasps when his eyes snap open and he flips her down onto the bed, pinning her down.

"Ra, Yumeri. Stop doing that." Bakura growls, softening his grip. "One of these days I'm going to wind up hurting you."

"I trust you." Yumeri says sincerely. "But next time I'll cause a big commotion with your lovely little band and make you come rescue me, if that'll make you feel better." She says jokingly.

Bakura chuckles for a moment. "You would, wouldn't you. So, why are you here tonight of all nights?"

"I missed you." Yumeri says, reaching a hand up to trace Bakura's scar. "And I couldn't sleep."

Bakura takes Yumeri's hand and kisses it. "Now that's a lie. You purposely stayed up so you'd have an excuse. I told you to get some sleep."

"Not all of it was a lie." Yumeri murmurs. "I did miss you…" She struggles to pull herself up, but then settles for pulling Bakura down for a kiss.

y-y-y

"BAKURA!" Yumeri screams as the guards pull her away. "LET ME GO DAMMIT!" She punches the nearest one in the face, but is easily overwhelmed by the amount of soldiers. "Let me go! Let me- BAKURA!"

Light streams from the golden dragon around her neck at her last scream, as Bakura and Atemu are both sealed away and her heart stops.

y-y-y-y-y-y

Yume wakes up gasping for air in her hikari's body, her violet eyes wide.  _'Oh Ra…! I- I remember. I remember everything. Bakura… Mariku… Atemu… Seth…'_ Carefully she slips off the spare bed and walks out of the room. She tiptoes down the hall and peers in Ryou's room.  _'They look so much alike when they're asleep…'_

Yume remains there a few minutes longer before going back to her room to get some sleep.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Lilac eyed cat: So Yume remembers everything?

_Shadowed-dragon_ : Yup. Said she'd been having weird dreams for a white now and last night she had a few in a row that brought back her memory.

Lilac eyed cat: Marik wants to know which one.

_Shadowed-dragon_ : I think she said Mariku and Bakura were both in one of them… Oh, and get this! My dragon pendant isn't a Mil. Item. Lol.

Lilac eyed cat: Weird! So what is it?

_Shadowed-dragon_ : It's something like the symbol for the Dragon Guardian. Yume's soul was locked into it because throughout the time she had it she stored excess magic and energy into it, which actually put a little of her soul in it. When Yume was killed by some of the soldiers for "treason", her soul joinged the small piece in the pendant because her death was unjust.

Lilac eyed cat: You lost me. So, why was she killed.

_Shadowed-dragon_ : Something to do with marrying Bakura.

Lilac eyed cat: O-O Well it's no wonder they bicker like an old married couple- they  _are_ an old married couple.

_Shadowed-dragon_ : lol. Don't let Bakura or Yume hear you say that though. Bakura blames Yume for his sealing for some reason and won't listen to her side of the story.

Lilac eyed cat: ???

_Shadowed-dragon_ : (sighs) I'll have Yume explain it to you when you get back here in winter.

Lilac eyed cat: You had better.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Christmas Chaos

Tama happily hums Christmas carols as she dances around the house decorating it. Ryou smiles at his best friend's antics as he pulls on his winter gear.

"Going to pick up Malik?" Tama asks, dancing past with a wreath in her arms.

"Yes. He is coming today, right?" Ryou asks.

"Yup!" Tama confirms. "I'm so glad he's coming! We're going to have so much fun!"

Ryou wraps his light blue scarf around his neck and wrests a hand on the doorknob. "I'll be back in a little while. Need anything?"

Tama smiles brightly. "Nope! Dinner should be ready by the time you and Malik get home!"

Ryou nods before opening the door and walking out to his and Tama's car- a light blue Volkswagen.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Malik stares at the snow, lilac eyes sparkling in childish delight. "Cool…"

-THUD-

Malik glares at Tama, snow splattered on the side of his head. Tama 'eeps' and ducks behind a tree, but it's all in vain since she gets pelted by three snowballs- one from Joey, one from Yugi, and one from Bakura.

Within seconds the snowball fight is going full force. Snowballs fly in every direction, some hitting their mark and others not. And some missing the person they're suppose to hit and hitting someone else.

All-in-all, it was a fun morning. After lunch, which consisted of hot chocolate and sandwiches, the large group filed back outside, this time to go ice skating at the park. Tama, Ryou, Joey, Téa, Duke, and Mokuba skate gracefully around the iced over pond while Yugi struggles to help Yami skate, and the other yami's and Malik repetitively fall.

After the ice skating incident, in which the Darks discovered they could ram into one another after picking up speed on the ice, the group split up. Duke, Téa, Tristan, Joey, and Serenity all head to their homes, while Ryou, Tama, Malik, Yugi, Mokuba, and the yami's head to the Bakura household.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama hums as her, Yugi, and Mokuba decorate the Christmas tree with lights. They step back to admire their handywork once done and then Bakura, Marik, Yume, and Yami come down the stairs with five boxes, covered from head to toe in dust.

Yume sneezes. "My Ra! When's the last time Ryou cleaned out that place?"

Ryou and Malik come out of the kitchen at this time, both carrying popcorn strings.

"These are going outside, right?" Ryou asks.

Yugi nods. "Yeah, it's for all he birds and other animals."

"You guys can wait if you want. The yami's got down the rest of the Christmas boxes from the attic, so we're going to finish the tree and then go outside and decorate." Tama says, gesturing to the four yami's.

Ryou and Malik set their popcorn strings on the back of the couch and then join the others in decorating the tee.

By the time the sun sets, the house is the most brightly lit, Christmassy house on the road. The group stands at the beginning of the driveway and look proudly at the highly decorated house.

"Well…" Yugi says, breaking the silence. "Me and Yami need to head home."

"Want me to drive you?" Tama offers, reaching for her keys in her coat pocket.

"That's alright, Tama. I- I want to walk home." Yugi says, looking up at Yami. "Read to go, Yami?"

Yami smiles at his Light and wraps his arms around the smaller teen's shoulders. "Whenever you are, aibou."

Blushing, Yugi leads Yami off in the direction home.

Mokuba, Ryou, Bakura, Tama, Yume, Malik, and Marik watch as the two tri-color-haired boys disappear down the road and then Mokuba turns to Tama.

"Can you drive me home?" He asks.

"Sure!" Tama happily replies. "I'll be back in a bit, make sure Marik, Bakura, and Yume don't blow up the house while I'm gone." She jokingly tell Malik and Ryou, pulling her set of keys from her pocket. "Now, lets get you home, Mokuba."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Christmas Eve soon comes, bringing with it the day after Malik's birthday! (1) So today the entire group is over at Yugi's celebrating the blonde Egyptian's birthday (since they were all busy the day before, they celebrated it Christmas eve). Outside snow is falling, creating yet another layer. Inside, everyone is merrily singing Christmas carols. (as they've already sung 'Happy Birthday' to Malik) Even the Darks and Seto (who got dragged there by Mokuba) are singing. And then Tama pulls two guitars out from behind the couch and hands one to Mokuba.

"Alright! Lets start with 'Jingle Bells'!" Tama says happily, her fingers easily finding he right chord.

Mokuba has to look down at the strings, but he carefully finds the correct chord as well.

Everyone once again begins singing while Mokuba and Tama play. Once the song is over, Tama and Mokuba grin and lean their acoustic guitars against the wall.

"That was great!" Serenity says. "I didn't know you could play guitar!"

Tama's grin doesn't fade away. "My bro taught me when I was little and then I taught Mokuba." She tells them.

"Hey, do you guys hear dat?" Joey suddenly asks.

The others stop talking and carefully listen. Faintly they can hear singing from outside.

"Carolers?" Téa questions.

A smile slowly spreads across Tama's face. "I know who that is…" She jumps up from her spot on the floor and runs out of the living room. Seconds later the group can hear the door open and Tama happily squeal something.

"What's going on?" Téa asks.

"Dunno…" Yugi murmurs, peering out into the hall. "Hey, wait a second."

A madly grinning Tama shoves two snow-covered people into the living room, both of them taller than her.

"Everyone, I want you to meet my big brother, Kiba Muto and one of my best friends, Damian White." Tama introduces as the two boys carefully remove their hoods.

Kiba's hair is the same as always, but Damian's is now all violet with dark red tips.

"Hey psycho-boy." Damian greets Malik. "Shrimpo, how've you been?"

Yugi sighs. "I'm fine, Damian."

Damian looks around the room while Kiba takes off his coat, gloves, and scarf and sets them by the fire. "Well I'll be damned. Seto? Is that you?"

Seto inclines his head to the two boys. "Damian. Kiba."

"Dontcha just love reunions?" Tama suddenly asks. "Come on, Damian. Get that coat off and I'll introduce you to everyone."

Damian quickly removes his winter gear and sets it beside Kiba's. Tama then happily move on to the introductions.

"Well, I'm sure you remember Téa Gardner… that's Joey Wheeler and his sister Serenity, and that's Tristan Taylor. I would hope you both remember Malik, Ishizu, and Odion. Oh, and that's Duke Devlin. And then that's Seto Kaiba (who you already know) and his younger brother Mokuba and this," Tama happily sits down beside Ryou. "Is my best friend Ryou Bakura."

Serenity suddenly giggles and points to a spot above the two. "Look who's under the mistletoe."

Tama and Ryou look up and blush when they see that there really is mistletoe hanging above them.

Malik looks curiously at the green plant. "What's mistletoe? Nobody's explained it to me yet."

"It's one of the Christmas traditions that you find strange." Mokuba says. "When two people are under mistletoe they have to kiss."

Malik decides he doesn't like mistletoe.

Damian's right hand twitches and he glares at the mistletoe as if just itching to rip the plant down.

Kiba just grins. "Man, this reminds me of a few little incidents."

Tama glares at her older brother. "Say it and I'll hurt you badly. The same goes for you." She tells Yugi.

"Oh, so you're not going to threaten Seto?" Kiba asks, still grinning.

"Seto won't tell." Tama confidently replies. "And anyway, we were six."

("What does that have to do with anything?" Kiba teasingly asks.)

Mokuba looks up at Seto with puppy-dog eyes. "Please tell me, Seto. You don't tell me any stories anymore!"

"If we kiss will you please drop the subject?" Tama asks pleadingly, turning even more red at the thought.

"Maybe." Kiba replies.

Tama stubbornly crosses her hands over her chest. "That's not good enough."

Kiba sighs and makes a hand sign that only he, Tama, Damian, and Seto recognize. "I, Kiba Muto, do hereby swear that I shan't tell a soul about any of the past mistletoe incidents."

"Good enough…" Tama grumbles.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama, Ryou, and Malik laugh as they walk into the house.

"My Ra, the look on Joey's face when he realized Serenity was kissing Seto!" Tama exclaims, wiping away her tears. "Priceless! Absolutely priceless!"

The three double over with laughter at remembering the image and are unable to speak for a few minutes. Eventually they calm down enough to pulls off their scarves and coats and then carry the box filled with gifts from their friends over to the Christmas tree, which is decorated with numerous DM cards and at the top of is a model of the Change of Heart demon/angel.

They stay up for a little while longer, drinking hot chocolate in hopes that it will calm them down even slightly. They do calm down and soon go on to sleep.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"WAKE UP!" Tama yells, jumping onto Ryou's bed. "Wake up, Ryou! It's Christmas!"

Ryou yawns and looks up at Tama. "You are entirely too hyper this morning."

"I can't help it, it's Christmas morning!" Tama says, sitting down. "Please get up. Yume already made me wait an hour. I've been up since seven and have already cooked breakfast."

Ryou yawns again. "All right, I'm getting up." He says, sitting up.

Tama cheers, hugs Ryou, and then happily runs out of the room. Less than a minute later Ryou can hear a Christmas CD being played downstairs. Yawning a third time he gets up out of bed and puts on a light blue sweater setting on his bedside table.

Less than five minutes later Ryou is sitting at the kitchen table with Malik and Tama, eating Christmas breakfast- pancakes shaped like Christmas trees, sausages, bacon, eggs, and an apple for Malik.

By the time breakfast is over, Tama is about ready to burst from excitement, and has already begun humming carols.

Finally they go sit in the living room where Tama happily busies herself with separating the gifts into different piles.

"Malik, you open one of yours first!" Tama says one she's finished, bouncing slightly.

Yume appears beside her hikari and assumes solid form, hoping to drain away some of Tama's hyperactivity. Marik and Bakura just fade in beside their hikari's.

The three take their time in opening their gifts, thoroughly looking over each one before opening the next. Once they're done, the living room is covered with wrapping paper, tissue paper, and rouge pieces of tape. So then they set about organizing their stuff and cleaning up the living room. They're less than half way done when the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" Tama yells, dropping her garbage bag and running to the front door.

Ryou sighs as a bunch of wrapping paper and tissue paper falls out of the overly stuffed bag.

"Kiba! Damian!" Tama can be heard happily yelling.

"Great, just what I need. Pretty-boy driving me up the wall on Christmas morning…" Malik grumbles sleepily.

Both of the guys are surprised when Tama returns without Damian or Kiba and is just holding nine wrapped gifts.

"Where's Kiba and Damian?" Ryou asks.

Tama sighs. "They had to go back to the States. Kiba got an emergency call." She looks down at the wrapped gifts in her arms. "They brought presents over though. Three for each of us."

"Finish cleaning up first, hikari. Then we'll open those." Yume suggests.

Tama nods and hands the gifts to Yume. "Here, you hold them."

Yume struggles with them for a moment before Bakura and Marik each take three.

For the next fifteen minutes the only sounds that can be heard are those of the Christmas CD playing and the sound of crunching wrapping paper, tissue paper, and the garbage bags.

They then sit down to open the gifts from Kiba, Damian, and Tama's dad.

"That's odd…" Tama murmurs, reading the tag on her gift from Kiba. "This says it's to both me  _and_ my yami."

Malik and Ryou automatically check their own.

"Same here…"

Tama and Yume exchange glances and then they carefully unwrap the box-shaped gift. With the wrapping paper off, they have to then open the white box. Both of the girls gasp when they see what's inside.

"My Ra…" Tama whispers, tears springing to her eyes at the beauty of the painting.

Malik, Marik, Ryou, and Bakura curiously look at the two girls. Shakily, Yume lifts up the painting, and the guys jaws drop in shock.

Kiba had actually painted Tama and Yume as an angel and demon reaching out to one another. The angel Tama is kneeling on the ground wearing white robes, lilac eyes looking almost pleadingly up at Yume, her feathered red and blonde colored wings half unfolded behind her. The demon Yume is in the air wearing black robes identical to the angel Tama's robes except for the color. Her violet eyes look sadly down at the angel Tama and her demonic red and black wings are completely unfolded to keep her in the air.

Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Marik open theirs soon after.

Malik and Marik's is of them as an angel and demon as well. The angel Malik is hanging off a tree wearing his trademark light purple colored shirt and black pants, with his pale, blonde colored feathered wings folded behind him. The demon Marik sits on a park bench, wearing a black shirt and his cloak/cape thing and tan colored pants, his pale-blonde demonic wings folded behind him. The angel Malik is laughing while the demon Marik looks at the hikari with a peaceful smile on his face.

Like the other two's, Ryou and Bakura's painting is also of them as an angel and demon. The two stand back to back, angel Ryou's hands in a prayer position while pure white feathered wings are folded behind him. He's wearing his blue and white striped shirt and a pair of jeans. The demon Bakura has his arms stretched out in front of him, silver demonic wings unfurled in a protective manor. He's wearing a bright red cloak with white designs and black pants. On Ryou's half of the panting is pure, blinding white light and on Bakura's half is deep, black darkness.

"This is amazing…" Ryou murmurs. "How did he get everything so perfect?"

"I did show him, daddy, and Damian the pictures we all took when we were at the beach, and I've sent a few pictures since then." Tama says, still marveling over how beautiful the paintings are. "And then I e-mailed him with a description of Bakura after I told him how Yume regained her memory. I had no idea he could paint though…"

Malik traces his figure in the painting with his finger. "Funny… it shows our relations with our Darks perfectly."

"What do you mean?" Yume asks.

"Take Bakura and Ryou for instance," Malik says. "Ryou shields Bakura from the light and yet gives his Dark an amount of his own pure light. Bakura shields Ryou from the darkness but still gives him his own darkness. It's a balance between them." He says.

"And you and Marik trust one another so easily and are completely comfortable with one another." Tama says. "But mine and Yume's confuses me."

"It's like a mirror image." Ryou says. "You two are so much alike and at the same time you're completely different."

There's an awkward silence for a few seconds.

"Enough discussing the paintings!" Marik suddenly says. "You've got two other presents to open."

The others look at Marik in surprise and then turn their attention to the last two gifts.

"Lets open the ones from Uncle Kojiro first." Malik suggests.

The other two agree and then set to work on opening the presents from Tama's dad. Tama almost cheers when she unwraps an upgrade for her laptop as well as a new trial program her dad is working on. Malik looks puzzled for a moment when he unwraps a camera for his laptop, but then smiles when he reads the note. Ryou's chocolate brown eyes widen in shock when he sees his gift and reads the note sent with it, and then hastily snaps the box shut and shoves it into his pajama pockets. (2)

They soon move onto the last ones, which are from Damian. Malik got a nice set of daggers, Tama got a pair of special fighting fans (custom made), and Ryou got a pair of sai.

"Damian collects different weapons and trains with them." Tama explains. "He showed me how to fight using normal fans while I was in the states. He knows Malik has a strange obsession with daggers-"

"Do not." Malik grumbles.

Tama ignores him. "-but I can't imagine why he would have gotten you a pair of sai… although I can teach you how to use them if you'd like."

Bakura eyes the sai in interest while Marik eyes the daggers and Yume looks curiously at the fans.

"If you even think of touching those I will hurt you in some way." Tama growls.

All three yami's gulp and look away from the weapons.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"There we go!" Tama says happily, looking up at the three paintings which are now hanging up in the upstairs hall.

Ryou stands beside her, absent-mindedly wiping his hands off on his jeans. "Looks good."

"Mmmhmmm." Tama replies, glancing at her white-haired friend. Something green hanging from the ceiling catches her attentions.  _'Mistletoe?'_  A mental image of a grinning Mokuba pops into her head.  _'When I get a hold of that conniving little…'_ An idea comes to her mind.  _'… I'm going to thank him.'_

"Hey Ryou…?" Tama says, turning and stepping toward him.

Ryou looks at the small girl questioningly.

Almost shyly, Tama leans up on tiptoes and kisses Ryou on the cheek. "Merry Christmas…" She murmurs.

Ryou catches her arm as she tries to walk past and pulls her close. Summoning up all his courage he leans down and gently kisses her. Tama quickly gets rid of her shock and kisses him back, her arms slowly rising to rest on his shoulders. They soon break away, needing air.

"Merry Christmas." Ryou says breathlessly.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama sneezes and reaches for another tissue. She groans when she realized she's out and looks over at Ryou, who's curled up sniffling in the recliner. "Balik!" She yells, sniffing. "Balik! I'm bout of dissues!" She yells.

Malik tiredly walks into the room. "You sound weird." He informs her.

"By doe!" Tama says. "I deed a dissue."

"Can't get it by yourself? Poor you." Malik says, grabbing a box of tissues off the table. He tosses the box to Tama once he opens it. "You're welcome." Malik grumbles when he hears Tama blow her nose. Less than 5 seconds later a used tissue hits Malik in the head. The blonde turns around and glares at his cousin. "I hate you."

Tama just grabs another tissue and blows her nose.

Malik makes a face.

A week later, Malik is the one sick on the couch with little tissue balls littering the floor.


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18: Past Relived_

"It won't fit!"

"Well, just shove it in! Its not that hard!"

Tama sighs. "Ra… you ask them to do one simple little thing like pack up the bug and they just have to make an argument out of it."

Malik grumbles something about having idiot yami's and then he whistles. "Knock it off and arrange the suitcases properly! There's not that many!"

"And we still have to pick up Yugi." Tama reminds them.

Ryou watches as the three yami's begin arguing once again, this time over the correct placement of the bags. "Guys, at this rate we'll miss our plane."

"They don't look too worried about it." Malik comments.

"They should be! It's because of them that we're going to visit Ishizu in Egypt in the first bloody place!" Tama says heatedly. "Hey boneheads! Get to work!" She shouts, losing control of her temper.

"SHUT UP!" Yume and Bakura yell back.

"Tama, your temper, watch your temper." Ryou murmurs.

"Screw my bloody temper!"

Ryou and Malik both jump forward and grab Tama's arms to keep her from attacking the two yami's.

Marik grins and crams Malik's suitcase into the bug and slams the back shut. He turns around, still grinning, and shouts, "All done!" and then promptly sweat drops when he sees Bakura and Yume still arguing.

Tama stops fighting Malik and Ryou's hold. "Hey Malik, your yami is officially hopeless."

The other two Lights just sweat drop.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama gently fans herself with her notebook. "Too hot…" She murmurs.

Ryou takes another sip of water from his water bottle for the fifth time in the past ten minutes and Yugi looks around in interest. Malik looks completely comfortable dressed in a dark beige t-shirt and a pair of black pants.

"It feels good you big sissy." Malik says.

"How much further?" Ryou asks.

Malik studies their surroundings for a moment. "I'd say we've got about twenty minutes to go."

Tama audible groans, Ryou looks pitifully at his half-fill water bottle, and Yugi smiles.

"It's nice out here, isn't it?" The small teen comments.

Ryou and Tama look at Yugi incredulously, one thought running through both their minds.  _'He's insane.'_

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

They finally reach Malik and Ishizu's old underground home and Malik leads them down to the main tunnel where Ishizu and Odion are waiting.

Ishizu takes one look at Ryou and Tama's disheveled forms and chuckles. "You two look tired."

"They both drank their bottles of water before we even got here." Malik explains. "And I'm not even going to tell you how many times Tama tripped."

"You're just in time for dinner." Odion mentions, feeling an argument coming on.

Tama perks up at hearing a word associated with food. "What are we having?"

"Dinner surprise most likely…" Malik mutter, earning himself a smack on the head courteousy of Ishizu.

The four hungry teens follow Ishizu and Odion to the dining room. From there the atmosphere is light and joking, since right after dinner the yami's come out to tell jokes and funny stories. After that the only thing they want to do is sleep.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The next morning everyone is woken up by one overexcite able yami, two arguing yami's, and on PO'd Yami. This makes for four irritated hikari's, an annoyed older sister, and an exasperated Odion.

After breakfast (during which the Lights, Ishizu, and Odion left the Darks alone in the tunnel) everything finally calms down and they head down the tunnels, taking a route Tama finds strangely familiar. A sense of déjà vu washes over her when she looks at the carvings of dragons on the walls.

"Ow!" Yume hisses, glaring at Bakura who immediately puts an innocent look reminiscent of Ryou's. "Knock it off, Tomb Robber!"

"I didn't go anything, Dragon Guardian." Bakura replies.

"Both of you, stop it." Tama growls. "And Yume, what do you mean by 'ow'?"

Yume looks puzzled for a moment before realization dawns on her. "I- I felt something, hikari. He poked me!"

"What are you? Five?" Tama retorts, her brain not quite registering. 'Stop. Rewind.' "Wait, did you just say you  _felt_ him poking you?"

Everyone stops walking to look at the yami's.

"Can all of you feel?" Ishizu asks.

Malik pokes Marik experimentally, which makes his Dark jump in surprise.

"Don't do that! It tickles!" Marik exclaims, and then smile broadly. "It tickles! Yeah!"

"MARIK!" Malik cries when Marik scoops him up in one of his bone-crushing hugs.

Ryou sighs. "Not a day goes by without Marik making some kind of scene." He says to Tama, who nods.

The group soon moves on after breaking up a minor scuffle between Bakura and Yume. Soon they come to a staircase which Yume carefully eyes.

"Where are we?" Yami asks, looking around.

Ishizu looks around, her eyes strangely blank. "This is the chamber of the Dragon Sanctuary."

Yume steps forward in awe, gazing around the chamber. A set of hieroglyphics on the wall catches her attention and she walks over to them to trace them with her fingers.

"Yumeri, youngest Dragon Guardian to grace this chamber, cousin to Pharaoh Atemu, High Priestess Isis, High Priest Seth, and thief Mariku, wife to the Thief King Bakura. Forever true." Malik reads.

"I didn't know you and Bakura were married." Yugi comments to Yume in a surprised tone.

"Yeah, and look how well that turned out." Bakura growls.

Yume glares at Bakura. "I did not betray you!" She yells heatedly.

"It's your fault I was sealed!"

"It was not! I tried to talk you out of going against the pharaoh, but you, being the stubborn ass you are, just had to not listen to me and went anyway!"

"You never told me he was your damn cousin! And you could have at least prevented me from being sealed!"

"How could I!" Yume yells, tears already falling from her eyes. "How could I with five guards holding me back! How could I with my strength half drained from trying to stop you and from our child! How could I when those damned guards killed me as both you and Yami were being sealed? How the hell could I!"

Bakura looks at Yume in shock, his mahogany eyes widening. His mouth suddenly dry, he manages to croak a shaky, "What? You- you were-"

"Pregnant? Yes." Yume replies, almost softly. "I didn't find out until after; when Light told me."

"Who?" Almost everyone asks.

/././Me./././ An amused voice says. She clears her throat. /././Oh yes… Who is it that dares to enter the Dragon Sanctuary/././

Yume steps forward, ignoring Bakura's pleading look. "Yume, Guardian of the Dragons from long ago."

/././Well I'll be./././ Another voice comments, his voice much deeper than Lights with the same old growl. /././Yumeri, is that you/././

"Hello, Dark." Yume replies.

Everyone except Yume gasps when a large pure white dragon with golden eyes exit's the tunnel opposite of them, soon followed by an even larger ebony black dragon with violet eyes, and then a smaller (but still big) dark gray, light gray, black, and white dragon with blue eyes.

"Light, Dark, Shadow, this is my hikari, Tama Muto." Yume introduces, pulling Tama forward, away from Ryou.

Light smiles, which is rather creepy on a dragon, and bows her head. /././We were wondering when you'd come here again. You were far too young the last time you came… you hadn't even received the Dragon Guardian pendant yet./././

/././Is it time for Yumeri's crossing already/././ Shadow asks, his voice no longer child-like.

/././It's taken over 3000 years, Shadow./././ Dark says. /././It's high time for Yume's crossing. And as such, we need a new Dragon Guardian. Lucky for us, Yume brought the next Guardian to us./././

Tama looks nervously at the three dragons.

/././Come forth, young Guardian./././ Light says gently. /././We shall not harm you./././

Yume gently pushes Tama forward and then steps back.

/././I trust Yumeri has told you of the duties of the Dragon Guardian./././ Light waits until Tama nods before she continues. "Very well, state your full name./././

"Tamashira Chizu Muto."

/././Tamashira, do you accept the duties that come with being the Guardian of the Dragons/././ Dark asks.

Tama takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I do."

/././We the Dragons, Guardians of the Dragon Sanctuary invoke our right to choose and train a Dragon Guardian of our choosing! We ask you to allow this right/././ The three say in unison.

As before, a pair of blue eyes appear in one tunnel and a pair of red eyes in the other.

/././So you ask, so is your right, so we agree./././

The dragon pendant glows brightly and grows warm against Tama's chest. Then a bright light emits from the pendant, lighting up the entire room. Tama shuts her eyes tightly because of the blinding light.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"…ma? Tama, are you alright?" Ryou asks worriedly, one hand placed on Tama's forehead. He takes it away when Tama opens her eyes and looks at him in shock. Then she looks around the tunnel in a confused manor, getting worried looks from everyone except Yume and Bakura.

"I'm fine Ryou." She murmurs. "So Ishizu, where are we going?" Tama asks, trying to change the topic, but at the same time unable to not notice that the dragon carvings are now gone from the walls.

"The chamber of the past." Ishizu replies. "We have the pharaohs name thanks to Yume, and we have all seven Millennium Items, so we should be able to open the door to the past. Before that though, Yugi and Yami must duel one another."

Odion opens a door after Ishizu says this and the group enters the room. Directly opposite them is a set of steps that lead up to a platform before a large door.

A strange looking 'table' on the floor catches Ryou's attention and he walks over to it. He notices seven odd spaces, shaped in very familiar forms…

"That is where the Millennium Items must be placed before we can open the door." Ishizu explains. "Yugi has the scale, the key, and the puzzle, I have the necklace, Malik has the rod, and Ryou has the eye and ring."

"You have the eye?" Yami asks Ryou, who points to Bakura. "I should have known. One a moronic Tomb Robber always a moronic Tomb Robber."

There's a moment of silence except for Bakura's growling and then…

"You remember!" Yume happily yells. "I recognize that cocky tone, baka pharaoh!"

Yami scowls. "Shut up, Little Pharaoh."

Yume's violet eyes darken. "I  _know_ you did  _not_ just call me that. Do you have a death wish?"

"Well seeing as how we came here to cross over, yes." Yami replies.

Yume curses. "I hate you, Yami."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

After the little exchange of words between Yume and Yami, Yami and Yugi do some last minute preparing for their final duel. The duel lasts a long time, and takes a toll on Yugi who eventually comes out the victor.

Then they all place the Millennium Items in their respectable places and Yume steps determinedly forward and firmly speaks the pharaohs name.

"Atemu."

They all watch in amazement as the door opens, a bright golden light shining on the other side.

"I guess… this is goodbye." Yume whispers.

Marik throws himself on the ground and clings to Malik's leg. "I don't wanna go!"

Everyone else sweat drops and Malik hisses, "Stop making a scene, Marik!"

Marik begins crying, still clinging to Malik's leg. "Marik no wanna go! Marik wants to stay here with hikari-pretty!"

Malik looks pleadingly at the others. "A little help, please?"

He is ignored and stuck standing there with his spiky haired counterpart clinging to his leg, which is already showing early stages of numbness.

Yume and Tama hug while Ryou and Bakura awkwardly shake hands.

"I'll miss you, Yume." Tama murmurs.

"I'll miss you too, Tama." Yume replies, before stepping back away from her hikari. "You take care f her, alright? She tends to do stupid things if no one is there to top her." She tells Ryou, who laughs and replies with, "I'll take care of her, Yume. Don't worry."

"And you take care of him." Bakura growls.

Tama gives Bakura a thumbs up. "I'll handle any bullies that threaten him so you won't have to worry." She gives them both a watery smile. "Both of you take care of yourselves." She looks up to see Yami approaching. Gently, she gives him a hug and whispers, "You take care of yourself too, and please keep Bakura and Yume from killing each other."

"I will." Yami replies, stepping away from her. Then he shakes Ryou's hand and walks toward Yume and Bakura who are waiting by the door.

"Will somebody  _please_ help me." Malik yells, still trying to get Marik to let go of his leg.

Yami sighs. "The things I do…" With Tama's help, he manages to pry Marik off Malik's leg and then drags him up to the door.

"Ready?" Yume asks, slipping her hand in Bakura's.

Yume and Bakura are the first to go through, followed by Marik. As they go through, their clothes change to those they wore in the past. Then Yami steps forward. He glances back at Yugi as his clothes change. A pain fills his heart when he sees the tears welling up in his hikari's eyes. Quickly, he turns around and walks through, ignoring the tugging sensation he feels.

The door closes and everything is silent. Then Yugi collapses on the ground, silently sobbing. Tama rushes forward and wraps her arms around her cousin in a comforting gesture.

"Shh… Yugi, it's alright. We're gonna be fine…"

 


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: Past Returned_

All is silent in the Bakura household. All the lights are off. Several cards set on a table reading 'Happy Birthday!'. A brown and golden cat lays on the back of the couch, sleeping comfortably. All is peaceful inside, but outside is a different story.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama carefully twists her fan so that the dagger Malik threw bounces off in a different direction. Her lilac eyes are darker than usual and are narrowed in concentration. Malik automatically pulls out another dagger as Tama advances. Tama swipes at Malik with her fan, and he ducks to avoid getting another cut on his face. As he ducks, Tama gets behind him, manages to slip the dagger from his hand, and wraps her arms around his neck, holding the dagger up against his throat.

"I give." Malik says stiffly.

Tama takes the dagger away from her cousins throat and throws it down, making it embed itself deeply in the ground.

Ryou barely pays attention, running a hand along the prongs of one of his sai. His dark brown eyes staring blankly ahead.

"Again." Tama says, retrieving her other fan.

"Again? Tama, I'm wiped out." Malik says, walking around, picking up some of his daggers.

Tama carelessly flicks both her fans open. "One more."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Needless to say, Tama, Malik, and Ryou have been rather reckless since their Darks passed on. It's partially their way of dealing with the pain of separation. Tama has fallen back into her old 'I-don't-give-a-damn' outlook, Malik's less talkative and serious all the time now, and Ryou has moments where he stares blankly at something and nothing at all can snap him out of it. Like now. And also, none of them have been eating much.

Yugi, understandably, is the worst.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Yugi's room is dark, similar to the way Ryou's house is now. Duel Monster cards lay scattered around in a corner of the otherwise clean room. The same corner Yugi is huddles up in with a blue blanket wrapped securely around him. His amethyst eyes look dully at the floor, at the cards. He doesn't even look up when someone knocks loudly on his door.

"Yug'! Come on out! Me 'n Tristan want you to come play at da arcade with us!" Joey yells through the closed and locked door.

Yugi doesn't say anything or move.

Téa's voice drifts through the door next. "Come on, Yugi! You haven't been out of your room since you got back from Egypt."

Yugi just drops his Kuriboh card, which slides across the floor and comes to a rest underneath his bed. Seconds later a Kuriboh squeezes out from under his bed, floats across the room, and goes straight through the door. Screaming can be heard on the other side and then the sound of footsteps. Then Kuriboh floats back through the door and over to Yugi. Yugi wraps his arms around the fluffy creature and then buries his face in its soft fur and begins crying.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

So the hikari's are doing horribly. It makes you wonder how the yami's are taking the separation…

Things can only get better from here. Unless I'm wrong and things get much, much worse. Lets hope it gets better.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Thunder crashes outside and lightning lights up the entire room. After a particularly loud crash of thunder, Tama runs into the room and jumps up into Ryou's bed and manages to bury herself under the blankets shivering.

Ryou looks at the shaking mass of blankets in surprise. "Tama?" He questions, almost jumping when she wraps her arms around his waist. "Tama, are you alright?"

-(Scared. Hate thunder.)- Tama manages to send through their mind link.

Ryou sighs and lifts the covers up. -'Come here.'-

Another boom of thunder makes Tama yelp and stay where she is, clinging tightly to Ryou. Then a crash sounds from downstairs, making the tri-color haired girl slowly poke her head out from under the blankets.

-(W-what was that?)-

-'Sounded like a crash. We haven't heard one of those for a while.'-

-(You wanna go check?)-

Another crash from downstairs answers that question, since Ryou throws the blankets back and gets up out of the bed. Tama follows, holding onto Ryou's arm tightly, squeezing it whenever it thunders.

The two meet up with Malik in the hall, who has a dagger in each hand, and then three go downstairs together and walk to the living room onto to stop short at the sight before them.

Mouth agape, Tama squeaks, "Yume?"

The dark skinned tri-color haired girl standing in the living room pauses mid-strike and then decides to go ahead and smack her spiky blonde haired companion. "Hello again, hikari. Miss me?"

"YUME!" Tama happily yells, running forward to tightly hug her yami. The invading darkness within her soul disappears, replaced with her unique light.

"Hikari-pretty!" Marik squeals, scooping up his poor hikari and squeezing him to death. "Mariku missed hikari-pretty!"

As with Tama, the invading darkness in Malik's soul disappears, leaving only his unique light.

Ryou cautiously approaches Bakura. "Welcome home, Bakura."

Bakura raises an eyebrow. "What, no hug for me?"

Smiling, Ryou gives his yami a quick hug, which is enough to erase the darkness invading his own soul.

"You know, you two didn't keep your promise which is why we had to leave our wonderfully exciting afterlife." Yume comments. "Therefore, you must be punished."

Tama rolls her eyes, already having caught her Dark's feelings through their link, which has already reconnected. "Yume, you were bored to tears the entire time."

Yume pouts and whispers to Bakura. "I don't like her. She reads minds."

"I knew I shouldn't have let you watch Ice Age…" Tama grumbles.

Malik looks around. "Hey guys, I think we have a problem. Where are they going to sleep?"

"Crap."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

So, everything's getting back to normal at the Bakura household. The return of Bakura, Yume, and Marik has already thrown everything back into balance. Now lets go see what's going on at the Game Shop, shall we?

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Yugi's still curled up in the corner of the room, hugging Kuriboh, except now he's asleep. Outside the thunder booms loudly and light from the lightning streams in through the window, but none of it bothers the small teen.

The bedroom door slowly opens and a familiar looking dark-skinned teen with black, red, and blonde hair steps into the room. His violet eyes gaze sadly at the small form in the corner and he slowly walks over, taking great care not to step on any of the cards.

Kuriboh wakes up and sees Yami and carefully wiggles free from Yugi's arms. He makes a questioning sound before floating over to the bed and squeezing back under it.

Yami kneels down in front of his Light and gently taps him on the shoulder. "Aibou… aibou, wake up."

Yugi's eyes flicker open and he looks startled up at Yami. "Y-yami? IS that really you?" He reaches one hand up slowly toward Yami's face.

Yami catches his arm. "Yes, it is."

' _Warm… his hand is warm…'_  Yugi notices.  _'He's… alive?'_

Yami tilts Yugi's head so he's looking up at him. "I'm here and alive and I'm not going to leave you again."

Yugi begins crying again, this time out of happiness, and then he tightly hugs Yami. Yami wraps his arms around his Light and closes his eyes, allowing the purity of his Light to wash over him.

"Never again…"


	20. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20: Forever More_

Tama and Ryou sit on the couch together. Music plays quietly in the background, but other than that and their voices, the whole house is silent.

Tama sighs and leans against Ryou. "We've really been through the mill, haven't we? We were best friends in England, then we were separated, we both moved here, I refused to acknowledge your existence, then we become friends again, have to deal with psycho yami's, my cousins move in, we're separated from our yami's, and then they mysteriously re-appear."

"Not to mention everything else that has happened." Ryou comments.

"Mmm…" Tama absent-mindedly snuggles into Ryou. "You smell good…"

A faint blush appears on Ryou's face. "Umm… thanks."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Joey and Mai stand on opposite sides of the playing field. Mai has two Harpy Ladies on the field and one face down card. Joey has his Red Eyes Black Dragon on the field along with two face down cards. It's Mai's turn.

"Harpy Lady, attack his dragon!" Mai instructs her more powered up Harpy.

"I don' think so!" Joey yells. "Reveal trap card- Mirror Force!"

Harpy Lady's attack rebounds off the shield and goes back to the Harpy Lady, destroying her.

Mai lays down a card and ends her turn. It takes five more turns for Joey to defeat her.

"Alright Mai, now you've gotta come on a date with me!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Look at the ducks, Serenity!" Mokuba yells, pointing to the pond at the park.

Serenity giggles and hands Mokuba the bag of bread she brought. "Here Mokuba, you can go feed them."

Mokuba cheers and takes the bag of bread before going over to the pond, leaving Serenity and Seto alone.

"Why did you insist on dragging me out here?" Seto asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

Serenity watches Mokuba tossing bread at the ducks for a moment before she replies. "Tama suggested I get to know you. She says that you just put on a tough act kind of like she used to." She says.

"I should have known the Guardian had something to do with this." Seto mutters without even thinking.

"'The guardian'?" Serenity questions.

Seto snaps out of his non-thinking state. "It's nothing, Wheeler."

"Call me Serenity." She requests. "When you call me by my last name it makes me feel like you think you're talking to Joey."

"You're nothing like the mutt."

Serenity sighs.  _'Well, that's the best I can get out of him for now.'_

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Yugi carefully lays a puzzle piece down in the right spot and then pushes it down. He looks over at his other half. "How are you doing, Yami?"

Yami looks up from the small part of the 3000 piece puzzle he's working on. "Not so well, hikari."

"Well, lets see what you've got." Yugi says, crawling over to Yami. He studies the pieces carefully, a small smile on his face. "It looks like it should go right… here!"

But Yami isn't listening. He's too busy studying his hikari.

Yugi turns his bright smile to Yami when he successfully puts the puzzle pieces in the right place. "See?" He looks at his Yami, a puzzled expression on his face. "Yami, are you alright?"

The small Light squeaks when his yami kisses him and pins him down.

The puzzle lays forgotten beside them.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"There's Draco." Yume comments, pointing up at a constellation.

Bakura snorts. "You always were horrible at this. That's the Little Dipper."

"I'm going to push you off this roof." Yume mutters half-heartedly.

"I'd like to see you try." Bakura retorts.

The two sit in comfortable silence and continue to lay on the roof, gazing contentedly up at the stars.

"The eye of Ra." Yume murmurs, pointing up at the strangely shaped group of stars.

Bakura just 'hmms' and the silence continues.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

In the months before summer, several couples are made official.

Ryou finally gathers up his courage and asks Tama out on a date. Yume and Bakura prove they've been a couple when they're found kissing at a get together. And it's actually Yugi who asks Yami out on a date, surprising everyone. Last is Joey and Mai, who have gone out on several more date's since Joey's won date.

Summer comes quickly and almost everyone is busy. Joey gets himself an apartment and Serenity moves in with him. Téa gets accepted into a summer dance program. Duke stays busy by working on a new game for his company that requires him to go visit Pegasus out in California.

Then Ishizu and Odeon come back to Domino and buy a house, so Malik and Marik have to pack up their stuff and move down the road.

Yami and Bakura stay busy by causing as much trouble as they possibly can without getting caught. Tama and Ryou spend the majority of their time trying to stop their Darks and the remaining time cuddling, watching movies, hanging out with Malik, Yugi, Joey, and Serenity, and going on dates.

One night Ishizu allows Bakura and Yume to sleep over at her house so Tama and Ryou have the house to themselves. Malik, of course, can't resist making some comment which made Tama threaten to disembowel him using his daggers. That shut Malik up but sent Marik into his overprotective mode.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tama cheerfully hangs up the phone after listening to Marik go off on a tirade.  _'I bet he's still yelling into the phone.'_

"What's going on?" Ryou asks, walking into the kitchen.

"Not much." Tama replies. "Our yami's are sleeping over with Malik and Marik tonight, so we have the house to ourselves."

A meow comes from Tama's feet and she looks down at the gold and brown Egyptian Mau. "Hey Bast." Tama says, picking up the kitten. "I'm sorry, let me correct my mistake. It's just gonna be me, you, and Ryou tonight." She strokes Bast as she speaks.

Ryou sweat drops. "Tama…"

Tama carefully sets Bast down on the floor and the kitten scampers off to play with her toys. Tama stands back up and smiles at Ryou. "So, what are we going to do tonight? The usual?"

"Actually… there's something I want to show you… ask you." Ryou says nervously. "I'll- I'll go get it."

Tama looks curiously at her boyfriend. "Alright… I'll be in the living room, okay."

Ryou nods. "I'll be right back."

Tama heads across the hall to the living room with Ryou, but then Ryou goes up the stairs while Tama goes over and sits down on the couch. Ryou returns five minutes later with a small box in his hand.

"What's that?" Tama asks, noticing the box.

Ryou says nothing and sits down beside Tama, fiddling nervously with the box. "Your dad sent me this for Christmas… along with a note. He- he and Kiba had always known…"

"Known what?"

Ryou takes a deep shuddering breath. "Tama… with your father and your brothers permission…" He looks up into her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

"W-what?" Tama asks in disbelief.

"After we graduate. If we're still dating and everything…" He looks up alarmed when Tama starts to sniffle. "Don't cry!"

Tama wraps her arms around him, climbing onto his lap. "Yes." She looks up at him, lilac eyes shining. "I'll marry you."

Ryou hands her the box, his hands shaking. "Your dad said that this was the ring he proposed to your mother with…"

Tama takes the box, her hands shaking just as much as Ryou's if not more. She gasps when she opens it, seeing a delicate silver band with green emeralds shining brightly. Ryou takes it out of the box and slips it on her finger.

"I love you…" Tama whispers, kissing Ryou deeply, pouring all her feelings into it.

Ryou kisses her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. -'I love you too.'-

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Weeks after this (and after much celebration), Ishizu decides to break some important news to Malik.

Ishizu, Odeon, Malik, and Marik are all standing in the living room.

"Malik, I have something to tell you. Please don't freak out on me." Ishizu says.

'You'd think she's know by now that when she says not to do something I'm most likely going to do it.'

Marik snickers at this thought.

"I won't, Ishizu." Malik says, crossing his fingers behind his back.

Ishizu takes a deep breath, deciding the best way to do this is quickly."You'reengagedtoanAmericangirlwhosemotherwasafriendofourmom."

Malik stares at Ishizu in shock.

"WHAT! BUT I DON'T WANT TO MARRY SOME STUPID AMERICAN GIRL! ISHIZU!"


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick explanation for unknown characters involved in the "Bloopers" (because writing that sort of thing is fun and I'm kind of tempted to start doing it again as a weird after-fic bonus):
> 
> Shiro = the Author (me)
> 
> Kaze, Keitaro, Kyle, Kitsune = my team of muses/OCs who I "communicated" with in my notes before and after each chapter. (The early 2000s were an interesting time.)

_DOTSL Bloopers and Deleted Scenespart I_

**Bloopers**

* * *

Take 1

 

Yugi, Tama, Ryou, and Malik are all sitting in Yugi's room discussing their yami's.

"Aren't our Darks suppose to be the evil ones?" Yugi asks.

Tama sighs, staring boredly at the ceiling. "Well, technically, yes."

"Why can't we be evil for once! It's not fair!" Yugi exclaims, standing up.

Tama, Ryou, and Malik stare at Yugi in shock.

"CUT!" Shiro yells, walking onto the stage. "Yami! Get in here and contain your hikari! He got into the sugar again!"

Backstage Kaze raises and eyebrow and looks at Yami. "Again?"

At this point Shiro has to resist banging her head on the wall.

* * *

Take 2 (from chapter 1)

Malik stares boredly out the window, drowning out what the teacher is saying. 'Bird, tree, bird, bird, Tama... wait-' "TAMA? OH SHIT WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

"CUT!" Shiro screams, storming onto the stage. "Malik, what the hell was that about!"

Malik looks at Shiro innocently. "What? I'm just reading the script." He says, holding up said script.

Shiro crosses the room and takes the script from Malik's hands. "Give me this." She reads a few line, a few red colored ticks appearing. "TOMB ROBBER!" She screams angrily, storming off the stage in search of the trouble-making white-haired spirit.

Backstage Bakura and Mariku snicker, finding this whole thing entirely too amusing.

* * *

Take 3 (from chapter 7)

Joey, Malik, Tea, Tristan, Yugi, and Duke are all sitting outside for lunch. Tama and Ryou have just left to go Ra-knows-where. Malik is tossing his apple into the air boredly, listening to the others talk.

"You know, Ryou and Tama would make a cute couple." Joey comments offhandedly.

The apple Malik was tossing 'magically' finds its way to Joey's head.

"Malik!" Joey yells, rubbing his head where the apple struck him. "Dat hurt! What was dat for!"

"CUT!" Shiro yells for the fiftieth time, stalking out onto the stage. "Malik, how many times do I have to tell you to follow the damn script! I should pelt  _you_ with apples!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Malik yells back, lilac eyes blazing. "Ryou and Tama don't make a good couple! Think of their insane Darks!"

Shiro gives Malik a look that says are-you-sure-you're-entirely-sane? "And Marik's  _not_ insane?"

"That's not the point!" Malik replies.

Shiro rolls her eyes and shoves the script in Malik's hands. "Malik, stop being the overprotective older cousin that you are and stick with the script.

Malik crosses his arms over his chest. "I don't want to get hit in the head with an apple! That's Joey's department!"

"Am I going to have to get my Dark out here?" Shiro threatens.

"No!" Malik replies immediately, fearing the wrath of the dark-haired, tempermental female spirit. "I just don't want to get hit with an apple!"

Backstage, Keitaro is munching on cookies Joey and Kyle made, clearly enjoying himself. "You're fighting a losing battle! Trust me, I would know." The golden-red haired fox-cat demon comments.

"Gee, thanks for your help." Malik grumbles.

* * *

Take 4 (from chapter 15)

-BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!- -KUUUURRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIII!-

The entire house shudders.

Tama and Ryou look at each other with stunned expressions. (O-O)

"What was that?" Mr. Bakura asks.

-(Ryou, tell me that wasn't what I think it was…)-

-'When do they not cause trouble?'-

Tama nervously laughs. "I'll- I'll be right back." She stutters, before running out of the room.

Running outside, her eyes widen when she sees the destruction of Ryou's backyard. She takes a big breath of air and then screams, "MARIKU! MALIK! BAKURA! YUMERI!"

"It's their fault!" Bakura yells, pointing at Marik and Malik.

"Kurriiiii!"

Tama stares in shock at the multiple Kuriboh around the yard.

"Umm... I can explain?" Malik starts.

"CUT!" Shiro yells, once again walking onto the stage. "Somebody please get rid of the Kuriboh! Whose bright idea was this anyway?"

Yume points at Bakura, Bakura points at Yume, Mariku points at himself, and Malik, Shiro, and Tama sweatdrop.

"I need a vacation..." Shiro grumbles, shaking her head.

* * *

 

_DOTSL! Bloopers and Deleted Scenes Part II_

Deleted Scene 1 (chapter 13)-

(.(I find it highly amusing how they have petnames for one another.).) Yume comments, listening to Joey rant about Seto.

Tama almost chokes, her eyes going wide.  _'What?'_

Yume appears beside her hikari in spirit form, an amused smirk on her face. (.(You didn't notice? Joey always calls Seto 'rich boy' and Seto always refers to Joey as 'the barking Chihuahua'.).) She comments to Tama.

 _'Pet names... that's an interesting way of thinking about it.'_  Tama says thoughtfully.

(.(It's an amusing thought, you mean.).)

_'That too.'_

||

Deleted Scene 2 (chapter 14)-

Tama, Joey, and Seto are in the kitchen. Joey and Seto are bickering, while Tama is trying to find something to shut Joey up before he can say something too stupid.

(.(Mutt's a new one.).) Yume suddenly comments, making Tama groan.

'You're not still going on about that, are you?' The female hikari questions.

Tama can feel her yami grinning in her soul room. (.(Maybe, maybe not.).)

||

Deleted Scene 3 (chapter 17)-

Ryou and Malik are outside at the airport. Snow is falling around them and Malik has his suitcases.

"What the hell is that?" Malik asks upon seeing the car.

Ryou sighs. "It's mine and Tama's car."

"Hmm... strange car." Malik comments, poking said car.

Ryou sighs again. "Malik, it's just a car. Nothing is wrong with it. Now please get in, it's getting rather cold out here already."

Malik stops poking the VW bug and looks up at Ryou. "It's blue."

"Well, at least it's not pink." Ryou says.

Malik shudders. "Thank Ra..."

||

Deleted Scene 4 (between chapter 15 and 16)

It's nighttime in New York. Our scene takes place at a large house in a more country area of New York in which two 17-year-olds and a 19-year-old are having a sleepover in the living room. The two 17-year-olds are Tama Muto and Damian Mizu. The 19-year-old is Tama's older brother Kiba Muto.

Tama is wearing blue pajama's with kittens on them. Damian's wearing a pair of purple shorts and a black t-shirt. Kiba is wearing pajama's similar to Tama's, except his are green with dog bones on them.

Damian grins evilly halfway through one of Tama's stories about something that Malik recently did. Without warning, he picks up his pillow and whacks Tama in the head with it. Tama shrieks and falls over backwards, kicking out her foot to hit Damian. The purple and black haired boy yelps in surprise when Kiba smacks him with two fluffy pillows. Soon, an all out pillow war has begun!

Damian nervously backs up into a corner, a pillow his only protection. Kiba and Tama have on identicle smirks as they gang up on their friend, both of them armed with two or three pillows.

"N-now, now, guys. T-there's no need for-" He yelps again and ducks as Kiba throws a pillow at him. "-violence!" He squeaks before Tama hits him with one of her pillows. "Cheaters!" Damian yells.

Tama and Kiba keep smirking. "All's fair in love and war!"

Damian groans.  _'This is what I get for starting a pillow fight with the tag-team pillow fight champions.'_

 

* * *

 

 

_DOTSL! Bloopers and Deleted Scenes Part III_

Deleted Scene 1 (between chapter 15 and 16)

Joey and Seto in the park waiting for Serenity and Mokuba to come back. They are arguing over something like always. Then Joey trips and falls over onto Seto.

_'Oh boy...'_

Both of them have mortified looks on their faces at this point. Then Seto manages to collect himself and shoves Joey off him.

"Mutt! What do you think you're doing!"

Joey growls in a dog-like manor. "You think I liked dat! You're insane!" He yells.

"Joey! Seto! There you are!" Serenity yells.

Joey and Seto jump far away from each other as their siblings run up to them.

"Why are you guys so jumpy?" Mokuba asks.

Joey nervously laughs. "Heh heh. No reason. So, you guys hungry or what? I saw an ice cream stand somewhere back dere!"

||

Deleted Scene 2 (between chapters 8 and 9)

Yume, Bakura, and Marik sneak quietly into the game shop, dressed in all black. They head immediately up the stairs to Yugi's room, where they find Yami asleep by the edge of Yugi's bed, watching over his precious aibou.

"There he is." Marik whispers.

The three trouble making spirit exchange glances and grin as they pull out their 'tools of evil'. Then all three of them dive on top of Yami. Yume covers his mouth with her hand so he can't make a noise and then gags him with one of Tama's bandana's. Then Bakura and Marik tie his hands and feet together. Then all three of them shove him into Yugi's closet for the Light to find him in the morning.

* * *

**Bloopers**

Take 1

Yume chases Bakura around the house, screaming at him. In one hand is one of Malik's daggers that she 'borrowed'. "I'm going to kill you!" She screams.

"Good luck with that!" Bakura yells back at her, still running for his life.

"I'm going to kill you and then set the evil ducks upon you and let them peck your eyeballs out! Then I shall drown your dead body and-"

Yume gets cut off by Shiro yelling, "CUT!" and storming out onto the stage. "Tama! Restrain your yami!"

Tama has already rushed out onto the stage and is trying to pry the dagger from her yami's grip and keep her from attacking Bakura, who is now cowering behind the couch. "I'm trying!"

"WELL TRY HARDER!" Shiro roars. "And Bakura! Get out from under that couch! She's not going to kill you!"

Bakura hesitantly crawls out from under the couch. At this time, Yume breaks free from her hikari's hold and attacks Bakura. First she-

BEEEEEEEEPPPPPP!

Kyle walks onto the stage and holds a sign up to the camera that reads, 'The following scene has been deleted due to extremely graphic violence.'

||

Take 2

Yume blinks and looks at the ink blot for a moment. "It looks like Yami being decapitated with blood flying everywhere."

For the third time, Ishizu flips the ink blot over and studies it. "Send Yami in…"

Yume leaves the room and Yami soon enters and sits down on the couch.

"Tell me what you see." Ishizu says tiredly, holding up the last ink blot test first.

Yami peers closely at the ink blot. "Hmm... looks like some large creature tearing apart Marik and his organs are laying everywhere. There's his heart, and there-"

"CUT DAMMIT!" Shiro screams, about ready to tear her hair out. "I'M GOING TO KILL THAT TOMB ROBBER!" She yells, already going off to find Bakura.

"Shiro, he's already dead." Ishizu reminds the girl.

Shiro growls loudly, already down the hall looking for Bakura. "I could care less at this point!"

From his spot hidden in the attic, Bakura snickers as he watches the havoc he created on the TV's he made Mokuba rig up. Mokuba sits beside him watching the theatrics while munching on popcorn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sequel to this is called "Cat of the Lilac Eyes" and will soon be posted on here as well.


End file.
